“Meditation is the most significant because it opens the door for all other significant things: love, prayer, God, light, music, poetry.”

- Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh

What is meditation and mindfulness?

Meditation is a practice, and one can develop mindfulness through this practice.

Mindfulness is awareness of the present moment, and it is living one moment at a time, one breath at a time.

The mind is here and now; it is not elsewhere.

How can we go about bringing greater awareness and mindfulness into our daily life?

We can sit and meditate every day with consistency and simplicity.

We can commit every day to be aware, attentive, and truly present with our hearts and mind in the actions of our daily life.

Practicing mindfulness helps us be truly present in our lives, improves concentration, allows us to understand what is important, and leaves distractions aside.

It teaches us to listen to ourselves without judging ourselves, welcomes the present moment in the best possible way, and seize the authentic moments of joy in our lives.

Engaging in mindfulness doesn't mean emptying our minds.

Instead, it means learning to accept thoughts and emotions without judging them because they are only something temporary. Ideas come and go, at this moment, thoughts are there, but they will soon vanish.

It may not seem easy at first. However, continue to practice intentional awareness of the present moment because it will gradually transform your way of life, and you will feel like a new person.

What can meditation and mindfulness can do?

Meditation is not magical. Yet it is a natural medicine for uncertainty and anxiety. Here's what it can do for us in these times of great fear:

- Help us notice when anxious thoughts trapped us. When we detect this, we can do something about it.

- Help us see the feelings and emotions that are arising for us, which we would typically not be able to notice.

- Interrupt the thought cycles we are involved in, which could prevent us from being present or sleeping, causing our awareness to fall into the body's sensations.

- Help us calm down and see that things aren't dangerous. We can notice that things are okay.

- Keep us calm when we need to do something.

How can we start meditating as a habit?

Pick a moment. If possible, at the same time daily, it's best to pick something you already do every day and tie the habit to that event, right when you wake up or right after a shower.

Set a reminder. Put the reminder on your phone and calendar every day so you don't forget. Also, put a paper note somewhere you'll see it. Failing to get used to it is very common initially, so give yourself some grace!

Set a timer for 1 minute. When you're ready to meditate, choose a comfortable spot (a chair or couch is fine) and set a timer for 2 minutes to get started. Yes, it's very little, but it's a great way to create a new habit: begin very small, so it's easier to move on then. You can increase it by a couple of minutes every seven days if you do the job of respecting it well.

Notice your breathing. It's simple to get your attention - turn your mind's attention to the breath and leave it there for 2 minutes. When (not if) your mind wanders from breath to thoughts, notice this and bring your mind back to the breath. Don't worry about getting distracted. It happens to everyone. Keep coming back to the breath.

When the timer goes off, say thanks. A little gratitude helps stick to any habit. Thank yourself for making an effort, and notice how helpful this little practice has been.