Mid-afternoon slump.
Rather than picking
up another coffee and
cookie, try this energizing
meditation.
how to: Changing up your
breathing pattern can affect
everything from heart
rate to blood pressure.
Emphasizing inhalation
increases alertness and
energy. “Instead of inhaling
in one smooth stroke, break
the breath into equally
segmented sniffs. Sit quietly
with eyes closed.”
Start with this one: Four
parts in, one part out =
healing and energizing
Once you’ve mastered that,
move on to this: Eight parts
in, four parts out = focusing
and energizing
Practice for approximately
three to five minutes.
6 p.m.
Don’t spend another night eating mindlessly in
front of the TV. While on a pilgrimage to Zen
master Thich Nhat Hanh’s monastery in France,
Mary learned this prayer for mindful eating.
how to: “This food is the gift of the whole
universe. May we eat in mindfulness and
transform our greed by eating in moderation.
May we eat in a way that reduces the
suffering of living beings and encourages the
preservation of our planet.”
10:30 p.m.
Bedtime. A Zen Buddhist meditation to let
go of the day and send you off to a good
night’s sleep.
how to: “Sit quietly with your eyes closed
and hands resting in your lap. Concentrate
on the sound and sensation of your slow-moving breath. As you breathe, think the
following, ‘I breathe in the stream in the forest
and smile as I breathe out with the stream
in the forest.’”
Mary Paterson is a Yoga and Meditation Instructor
and Founder of Lotus Yoga Centre in Toronto.
www.lotusyogacentre.com
