What if there was a way that you could stop, when you feel you just can’t take it anymore, to breathe and reduce the stress, anxiety, and fatigue…putting yourself in a relaxed, calm, and high-performance state of mind? Meditation is a powerful tool to accomplish this and many of us aren’t sure where to start or can’t set aside the time to try.

You can begin with an exercise called, “the Basic Minute,” which actually takes a full minute. (A minute is like a moment with handles on it - you know where it begins and end, so it’s easier to grasp.) Try to do one Basic Minute each day. The purpose of the Basic Minute is to help you realize that you really can tap into deep peace quickly, so it’s important not to do it longer than one minute.

BASIC MINUTE

1. Sit down.

2. Plant your feet on the floor.

3. Sit up.

4. Start the timer.

5. Put your hands in a balance position.

6. Close your eyes.

7. Focus on your breathing, moment-by-moment. (If you get distracted, don’t worry, this is normal. Just think, “Hmm,” and enjoy the next breath, as if it were the first one.)

8. When the timer sounds, stop.

9. Open your eyes gradually.