Meri Pekkanen: Occupational therapy, nutrition and other hot health stuff

This post was originally published by me in Dalai Panda 4.2.2011.

Meditation was a mission impossible for me for a long time. I’m a restless person who never stops. I’m constantly thinking or moving and coming up with ideas so you can quite imagine how hard already the idea of meditating seemed to me. Since I’m still positive that meditation is hugely beneficial I haven’t given up on trying. Thanks for my friends for support, you know who you are!

• set a timer – you don’t have to worry whether you’re going to overdo it and be late for gymnastics
• set a timer – you don’t have to worry whether you’re going to give up too easily
• start by 10 minutes –> gradually progress into 20 minutes (I’ve done 20 minutes once – today – hooray!)
• sit still and comfortable, eyes open but not really looking at anything but one point
• you might want to try to focus on an image of an empty room or your breathe blowing in and out in a “tunnel”
• …or count your breaths (this didn’t work for me until today when it was incredible soothing)
• …or say a mantra (like shanti or hamsa) as many times as it takes before you feel the calmness setting and then shut up
• …or say a mantra silently in your mind (I used the word “tyhjää” on the first rounds)
• try using a mindfulness bell – the sonorous sound helps to focus when it clangs once a minute or so (available as an iPhone app)

I use the timer in my iPhone as my meditation timer. The sound “harp” is elegant enough to bring me gently back into present.

Oh, and a idea I’ve been thinking of trying but haven’t yet tried:

• before starting the meditation, write down all the ideas and things you can possibly come up with that need your attention later on – this way they’ll be safe and sound and you don’t have to worry about them while meditating

So, I challenge you: go forth and meditate!