Informal Meditation Will Improve Your Life
Informal meditation lets you practice meditation anywhere and at any time of day. That’s because, unlike formal meditation, you don’t need a space or a particular time or even a structured routine, to do it. Furthermore, it doesn’t take up much time.
You can carry out this practice anytime and anywhere. You don’t have to interrupt your everyday activities, and you don’t have to have any particular skills to do it. What’s particularly good about it is that you’ll feel more at peace. In addition, it’ll sharpen your concentration and awareness.
“Don’t dwell in the past, don’t dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.”
-Buddha –
Informal meditation fulfills the same purpose as formal meditation. In other words, it teaches you to live fully in the present. This way, you connect more authentically with both yourself and the present moment. Furthermore, it stops you from overloading yourself emotionally and getting stressed. In this article, you can learn how to practice it.
Start each day with informal meditation
Waking up is one of the most important moments of your day. Your brain’s cooler and more attentive then. It’s also well-rested. Consequently, this is an ideal time to practice some informal meditation.
Start breathing deeply five times as soon as you wake up. If possible, concentrate on how you’re breathing in and expelling the air from your lungs. Then, get up slowly, paying attention to every movement you make. Focus on the way in which you get to your feet.
Another good time for informal meditation is when you’re in the bathroom. Concentrate on all the sensations you feel when bathing. How the water slides over your body and how your skin reacts to it. Do the same when you’re brushing your teeth.
Mindfulness when eating
You’re probably used to focusing on a multitude of things when you’re eating. You might watch TV, chat with those around you, or just lose yourself in your thoughts and worries.
Ideally, you need to eat leisurely and chew slowly. Not only will you appreciate your food more but it’ll help your digestion as well. Furthermore, it’s one more way of incorporating informal meditation into your daily routine.
Express informal meditation
This is an informal meditation technique that’s particularly suitable for difficult times. Perhaps when you’re anxious, angry, or feeling under pressure for one reason or another. It’s a quick practice that’ll help you regain your balance.
There’s one basic rule. It shouldn’t last more than a minute. You just need to take yourself off to a place where you can be alone, at least when you first start practicing it anyway. Put your feet on the ground, sit down, relax your arms, and close your eyes. Then, breathe. Remain aware of your breathing for one minute. Count that one minute on the clock.
It’s normal for thoughts to distract you, particularly when you’re new to meditation. Even though it’s only a minute, your mind will attempt to wander. That’s just the way the mind is. Once the minute is up, resume your activities. You’ll find that, if you practice express meditation more and more frequently, you’ll need less time to rebalance yourself.
Moments for informal meditation
Informal meditation is an ideal technique for those moments in the day called “dead time”. In other words, whenever you’re not performing any activity that requires high levels of concentration. There are probably many moments in your day like this.
Almost all domestic tasks allow you to carry out this kind of meditation. For example, you could be making the bed, washing dishes, organizing clothes, cleaning the house, preparing food, or taking the dog for a walk.
There’s also “dead time” when you’re on the move. You might be in a queue or a waiting room. In fact, even when you’re waiting for the lights to change from red to green to cross the street you can practice this type of meditation.
Informal meditation trains you to fully experience the present moment. It awakens you, relaxes you, and allows your ideas and creativity to flow. In addition, it keeps your emotions balanced. Consequently, you’ll become stronger and more capable.
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- Gutiérrez, G. S. (2011). Meditación, mindfulness y sus efectos biopsicosociales. Revisión de literatura. Revista electrónica de psicología Iztacala, 14(2), 26-32.
