9 Positive Effects of Meditation on Your Brain

How do I meditate?
Yes, I meditate!

Let me share my story with Mrs. Meditation.

And how I meditate.

1.    So, I met Mrs. Meditation at 17, when I was an athlete.
The first meditation style I tried was Body Scan Meditation.
I used it the days before important races.
Just to calm my mind.
So, it wasn’t a daily practice.

2.    Then I stopped for a few years and restarted in 2017.
Since then, I’ve been meditating consistently — at least once a day.
From 2017 to 2022 I tried different styles:
→    Guided Meditation
→    Transcendental Meditation
→    And some other styles that I can’t remember the names of right now

Then, in 2022, I tried the style I’m using right now.
→    Zazen
Which is the meditation of Zen philosophy.
Here’s my way to practice it:

3.    So, first, I meditate for 15 minutes.
Just 15 minutes a day.
When?
During my morning routine — right after 8 minutes of HIIT (running in place).

So, after 8 minutes of running in place, I sit down.
Where?
On an ordinary chair.
My posture is upright and relaxed.
My eyes are OPEN.
I look at the floor — about one meter in front of me.
Specifically, I focus on a specific point on the floor.
In the first two minutes, I just pay attention to my breath — without changing it.
Then, all my focus goes to that point on the floor.
The goal is simply to be focused and present — without being distracted.
Which is pretty much impossible!
I get distracted by thoughts at least a couple of times.
But it’s normal.
We just need to bring our focus back to that special point.

This lasts for 15 minutes.
→    The simplest meditation ever (simplest, not easiest)
→    One of the most complex things I do during the day

For me, it’s 10 times easier to work out for 1 hour in the gym.

Now the question is:
→    Do I meditate well?
Absolutely not!
I’m still learning.

Since 2022, I’ve probably meditated very well 4-5 times.
And the results I got from those 4-5 times were shocking.
I’d never been so present and focused as I was after those sessions.

Okay, now your question is:
→    Have you noticed any results?
My answer is YES, especially in terms of focus and creativity.
For me, meditation is more of a focus tool than a stress management tool.
That doesn’t mean it can’t help with stress management.
I personally manage my stress with exercise.
However, nothing compares to meditation (and sleep) in terms of enhancing focus and creativity.

Stewart Life Coaching
www.edwastewart.com

504.578.0006