Change your Perspective with Mediation
 
If you want to meditate you do not need to move to the Himalayas and live in a hut on a mountain top. You can mediate at your desk- right now. At the most basic level, meditation is merely being aware of what your mind is up to. From there you can develop a broader awareness of your reactions to certain situations so you can manipulate those reactions to serve you more appropriately.
 
While almost every religion has a meditation practice history, by no means does meditation need to be affiliated with a religion. And along those same lines there is really no wrong way to practice mediation. Mediation is a way to reorganize your thoughts and refocus on something more positive. This can provide perspective and a refreshing new attitude so you can see tasks in a new and more approachable light. Meditation allows you to stop, reflect and choose a different way of perceiving a situation and turning off a stress response.
 
 
Try these steps to mediate, calm yourself and refocus on a happy thought during your busy day:
 
1. Get comfortable. Hold yourself straight with your shoulders, knees and ankles in normal alignment
2. Close your eyes or gaze at a point just in front you
3. Imagine gazing out and seeing yourself experiencing happiness. Maybe you are reviewing something or someone who has made you happy in the past, or someone or something that will bring you happiness in the future.
4. Instead of visualizing yourself in a happy experience you can repeat to yourself, “I am filled with happiness and the causes of happiness.” This is an expression borrowed from the Buddhist tradition. Some people find it helpful to repeat this expression over and over, some find it more distracting; just see what feels right at the time.
5. Your mind may start to wander. Just acknowledge this wandering, take note of where your mind was headed and bring it back to the moment by repeating to yourself “I am filled with happiness and the causes of happiness.”
 
Early into this practice you will start to feel less of the stress and anxiety of the day to day and feel more grounded in the moment and in the emotion of happiness.