Five tips to help
you find your
mountain of calm

By Ronna Schneberger

Life is so often hectic, and responsibilities and obligations in day-to-day living can leave you frazzled… and feeling as if you have barely taken a moment to… just breathe.

When you are able to be calm and present, you engage in life more easily, and insights about yourself arise naturally. Try any or all of these activities for five to ten minutes a day for one week, and notice the effects on your body and mind afterward.

Top five activities to help you find your own mountain of calm:

1. Breathe. Lie down or sit in a comfortable position and simply watch your breath. Don’t try to control or force it, observe yourself breathing. Breathe into the diaphragm (bottom of rib cage) and lungs, breath into the front and back of the lungs. Notice how it feels for breath to enter and exit your nose. Observe when your mind is no longer focused on breathing and just see where it is; then let go and come back to breathing.
2. Body scanning. Lie down or sit in a comfortable position. Take a few deep breaths and become aware of the sensations in the mouth, ears, nose, eyes, head, neck, shoulders, arms, chest, belly, pelvis, and legs.  Maintain this awareness of the body and breathing. When the mind wanders, bring it back to your body and your breathing. 
3. Walking Meditation. This can be done inside or outside. There is NO destination for walking meditation --  the point is to be fully present in the process of walking. To start, be aware of one aspect of walking, try paying attention to how your feet feel as you walk. Walk very slowly, and when the mind wanders off, see where it goes, and then bring it back to walking.
4. Do the dishes mindfully. Do the dishes (or cleaning) with mindfulness. Notice when the mind wanders off and then bring it back to washing dishes. Notice if you have resistance to being mindful, thinking that there are better things to do after dishes.  Remember this is your life even doing the dishes.
5. Try to be mindful one minute of every day.  Notice your breath, the feelings of your body and your general state of mind. Don’t judge yourself; just observe yourself. Notice what happens to your mind and body when you focus on your breath for a few minutes.