THEIn an era where time is running out, minutes are always counted and stress is always around the corner, one might say “And who has time for meditation?!”. And for the micro-meditation, Instead? A very effective name for underline that it takes a few minutes to find yourself and “recentre” in your daily life.
Micro-meditation, a few minutes for yourself
Meditation and micro-meditation have the same purpose, to find yourself in the daily chaoswhat changes is the amount of time dedicated to it: «Micro-meditation is practiced in a short time, from 60 seconds to two or three minuteseven several times during the day. The name, therefore, is linked to the limited time dimension which differentiates it from other types of meditation» he replies Marco Florio, psychologist Stimulus Italy.
The advantage therefore of a reduced meditation is the fact of being able to “insert” into one’s daily context much more easily than in traditional practice: «For the latter it takes up to forty minutes, so it requires time, calm and concentration, characteristics that a person does not always have in his daily life. Micro-meditation, on the other hand, is intended more as a break from one’s daily life, to be practiced perhaps even while in the office».
One stop to recharge your batteries
Recharging your batteries is the fundamental aspect of micro-meditationideal when you feel overwhelmed by everyday life: «The point is not just to “get distracted”, but to acquire greater self-awareness. It is as if we observe what is happening to us: in jargon it is said to “create the witness”, to work on our ability to be present, here and now» explains the expert.
How to put it into practice? “It can be done in many ways: closing your eyes and bringing your attention to your breathfully focusing on it, or bringing our full concentration on an activity that we usually practice automatically such as walking, having a coffee or doing the dishes.
Therefore, it is not just a matter of interrupting our activities or doing something else, but of devote all our attention to a single focus: if we walk, we focus on our steps, on our breath, on our body, on our sensations and emotions in relation to the gesture of walking. We could say that micro-meditation is a short moment of mindfulness: you immerse yourself completely in the presentputting aside the rest, work, worries, phone calls, notifications on social networks».
Focusing on the present, among the benefits of micro-meditation
Don’t feel anxiety about the future or the melancholy of the past but focus on the here and now. This is the essential benefit of micro-meditation, and of meditation in general: «Micro-meditation accustoms us to being more profitably in our present: stops the recurrence of negative thoughts, helps relieve stress and recover energy. If practiced consistently, helps reduce insomnia, anxious and depressive symptoms, improves attention span, memory and concentration. By freeing up energy, it allows us to have more resources to face difficulties, adopting creative solutions never thought of before».
Are there any positive effects at work as well? «Yes, and they are many: improvement of performance, better management of stress peaks, better decision-making skills thanks to the reduction of emotion».
Mental well-being within everyone’s reach
Both practices, micro-meditation and meditation, they have no contraindications nor are particular skills necessary to practice them, which is why they are recommended for everyone: «Micro-meditation can be a way to approach this practice, it’s perfect for those who struggle to carve out moments for themselves, it’s a simple and effective compromise to start recreating their own space again» concludes the expert.
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