meditation on deployment – Department of Defense Live photo

“I don’t have time to meditate”

You have the time, what you lack is the discipline.

This article is not about meditation. To describe the benefits of meditation or how to find a decent teacher or how to build a daily routine, would be a waste of our time. We can not address the challenge of meditation, when the real problem is discipline.

If you have read this far, perhaps you have come to the place in your life where you are questioning if a life without discipline is OK. If the answer is is “yes”, we wish you well.

If the answer is “no”, we can help. If some part of you feels that living without daily discipline creates a life that lacks direction, purpose and fulfillment, we can start.

Let’s look at the science. In 2014, the University of Chicago conducted a three part study on the relationship between self discipline and happiness.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23750741

Their concluding sentence was…

“Self-control positively contributes to happiness through avoiding and dealing with motivational conflict.”

They found evidence that “trait self control” (TSC or self discipline) was positively related to improved feeling of wellbeing by resolving the conflict between vice and virtue, in favor of the virtue.

It seems that Mom was right…all along. We will benefit by finishing our homework on time and making our bed and taking out the trash. Perhaps a phone call to let her know. If that’s not possible because the time has already passed, send a thought. Either one will serve as an acknowledgement that you are ready. Either one will show that the first step to better self discipline has already been taken.

Our Brain Responds to Positive Acknowledgement

It’s not so important what form the acknowledgement takes. It could be the thought of someone special, the sight of an object, the sound of a piece of music. In the case of a famous neurosurgeon, it is the sound of a dime store clicker that he uses to reward his students when their work is done well.

Our brain is built to respond to triggers. Using this functionality will provide a real advantage in forming a productive daily life. For example…

Every morning, as I walk out the front door, I see the broom. I pick it up and sweep the sidewalk. When I am resentful that litter has been dropped by visitors to the neighborhood, I sweep. When there are only two cigarette butts that could be easily overlooked, I sweep. When it is raining and the leaves stick to the concrete, I sweep.

I sweep not because it is a responsibility or because it is appreciated and even strangers will say “good morning”. I sweep because I have made it my tradition. It is important because I have decided that it is important. This simple 5 minute process is the trigger that begins a valued and productive day. All it takes is an old broom.

Discipline is a process that is kept alive day by day. Choose a simple task. Decide that it is important. Practice it every day.

Practice and make it yours.

This article was considered, prepared and written by the team at

Mind Body Performance Management

The post 5 Minute Meditation first appeared on Mind Body Performance.

kundalini reiki meditation

There really are differences between the various forms of meditation practice. My students will often ask me about this so, without getting too historical or too spiritual, this article will be my practical and everyday answer. It will be based on my years of teaching and what I have observed in my own classes with my own students.

I teach traditional meditation classes. I also provide training in Kundalini Reiki meditation. The use of different verbs to describe my professional activity is not a slip of the keyboard. That will become our starting point for comparison.

Structure

Traditional meditation unfolds at a glacial pace. It is layer by layer, hour by hour, year by year. It was more than a few decades ago, in Japan, that I began this process. Flickering candles, rapid breathing, chanting and icy waterfalls were all practiced and then eventually  left behind. I credit my health and my current life to the years spent on this traditional discipline. Clearly, it has great value, but it is not so easy to achieve in the retail environment.

Traditional meditation can build reliance on the teacher. A student taking a weekly meditation class has six days to drift off course. Returning the following week, the teacher must warm the student up, re-pointed them in the right direction and start them on their way, all over again. Progress can be slow because few of us live inside of a meditation sanctuary. There are so many important daily distractions (family, career, financial responsibilities) that the meditation process becomes diluted. Many students can not dedicate themselves to the long process and they let the benefits of a disciplined mind slip away. Even attending the occasional weekend retreat, is insufficient for maintaining progress.

Kundalini Reiki meditation is a bit more finite. The basic training program that I have developed consists of one session a week, for nine weeks. It is learning by doing. The teacher leads the way, the student follows. For the next six days, the student repeats the exercise, on their own. It is through this daily practice that the student cements their ability to repeatedly find and benefit from their own deeper space. Continued regular involvement with the teacher is not really required. With a five minute daily practice, the benefits are self sustaining.

Communication

Traditional meditation classes tend to be more verbal. Words or phrases can be used to guide the students, provide a point of focus, a bit of motivation and sometimes, even a little entertainment. All of these are useful, because they keep the class practicing the basics, over and over, which it what it is all about.

Training in Kundalini Reiki meditation is non verbal. The teacher guides the therapeutic energy of Kundalini Reiki (KR) into the meditation, allowing the students to smoothly go to their deeper level. After the session, there may be some discussion. I will often describe something that I saw or felt during the meditation and ask if someone else had the same experience . When the hand goes up, it is an eye opening moment for the class. It is also very satisfying.

Direction

Traditional meditation tends to be an inward journey of self exploration and understanding. It involves more mental concentration that can difficult for some students.

Kundalini Reiki meditation is outward looking. The practice is based on opening up to the world and engaging the limitless possibilities around us. It is accessible and attainable to people in all walks of life.

Purpose

Traditional meditation encourages observation, reflection and consideration.

Kundalini Reiki meditation is a powerful therapeutic tool that works to release the emotional and mental constraints that we often carry around, year after year. Free from this dead weight, less stress, clear vision and decisive action are more easily realized.

Similarities

All meditations are beneficial. Any meditation is better than no meditation. Find a teacher, learn from them and move on.

This article was considered, prepared and written by

Lisa Okochi, Director

Mind Body Performance Management

The post Some Differences Between Kundalini Reiki Meditation and Traditional Meditations first appeared on Mind Body Performance.