Welcome to the Lawyer Life podcast introduction to meditation.
As many of you may know, meditation is a huge part of my day -to -day practice, but it became really crucial to me in my early years of practicing as an attorney.
It was my private meditation practice in the middle of a hectic day that really allowed me to connect with myself, see the bigger picture, and get clarity around what I actually wanted out of my life and out of my career. With that in mind, I decided that the Lawyer Life podcast is going to be offering ongoing guided meditations to invite all of you to engage in this practice of meditation to find more clarity and peace in your career.
In conjunction with the release of our first guided meditation, I wanted to provide some meditation instructions for those of you that may be new to this practice.
Meditation in general is a practice that involves training your mind to focus and redirect your thoughts. A lot of the work that we do in coaching is about taking back our power and our control over our automatic patterns and over our automatic thinking. Meditation can be a very essential tool to help you witness those thought patterns and practice the gentle approach of redirection.
While there are many different types of meditation techniques, what I am providing to you here in the upcoming meditations is a basic mindfulness meditation practice.
To get started, make sure that you are sitting in a comfortable position. Most of the meditations that I will be offering here are intended to be practiced in your office. So my assumption is that many of you are sitting in an office chair. Over time,
You may also consider purchasing a small meditation pillow to keep in your office to allow yourself to disconnect and get away from your computer and really engage in this practice without the temptation of opening your eyes and seeing what's going on on your screen.
Regardless of the position that you pick, make sure that your feet are flat on the floor or that you're sitting in a comfortable position with your spine straight, but not rigid in a position that feels naturally aligned.
When meditating, can gently close your eyes or maintain a soft gaze if you prefer to keep them open. Either way, the goal is to reduce visual distractions and it can allow you to focus inward.
To get started, take a few deep breaths to settle into the present
Once you are settled in, you can allow your breath to return to its natural rhythm, bringing your attention to the sensation of your breath. Feel the air entering and leaving your nostrils or the rise and fall of your abdomen. Just be present with that physical sensation.
As you focus your breath, thoughts will inevitably arise and this is totally normal. When you notice your mind wandering, which it will, gently acknowledge the thought without judgment and bring your focus back to your breath. In my meditations, I often visualize myself sitting on the edge of a stream
And every thought that pops up is just riding that stream all the way past me. I'm not engaging in it. I'm just watching it move through me and by me.
As your thoughts arise and you gently refocus back to your breath, continue to observe that inward and outward flow of air and stay fully present in each moment. If your mind happens to get carried away by thoughts, simply gently guide it back to the breath. You can also use a very simple mantra or a phrase. Inhale or exhale to anchor your attention.
This is why many people who engage in meditation often chant the word om in order to redirect their attention back to their present state and back to their breath. When I first started practicing meditation in my office in my early years of practicing, one of the mantras that I often turned to was, I am not this job, I am more than this space. and I just repeated that every time that my mind would wander.
You don't have to use a mantra. It's whatever works best for you to redirect yourself and remain connected to your breath and in the present state, not chasing your thoughts.
As you start practicing meditation, it's really common to feel frustrated or distracted during meditation, chasing the thoughts or distracted by physical sensations in your body. Remember, this is a practice and it's okay to have wandering thoughts. We have to approach our meditation practice with patience and self -compassion in the same way that you would approach any other skill that you are developing. They call it a meditation practice
for a reason.
After a few minutes, I generally recommend starting with a simple five minute meditation. Gently bring your awareness back to your surroundings and into your body. Notice how your body feels and any shifts in your mind or your emotions. And then when you're ready, slowly open your eyes if they were closed or bring yourself back to the present moment and go back to your desk.
As you start your meditation practice, strongly recommend downloading a meditation timer.
Having a meditation timer in the background will allow you to disconnect and really be present with your meditation and not worry about the time or the clock. Whatever your approach after your meditation time has come to a conclusion, we work on bringing our awareness back to your surroundings and to your
This is a really great space to take stock of any awarenesses or anything that came to you during the meditation, or just reflect on how you're feeling. For this reason, I also recommend having a small journal in your office that you can use for these types of practices or some of the practices that we encourage in coaching.
Tips for those of you that are just beginning your meditation practice. First, start with very short sessions. Begin with just a few minutes of meditation each day and gradually increase the duration as you become more comfortable with the practice.
Second, consistency is key. Regular practice is more beneficial than occasional long sessions. So aim to meditate daily, even if it's only for a short time.
A tip that I often use is to set a recurring timer on my cell phone every day so that it goes off and I know it's time for me to find that space and step away from whatever I'm doing. Third, if you're able, create a sacred space.
Now I know many of you are doing this in the office just as I was in my early days of meditation practice. And that's okay. The goal is to simply find a quiet place where you won't be disturbed. So this may mean forwarding your phone for five minutes, turning off your cell phone, closing your door, letting your assistant know that maybe you can't be disturbed for the next 15 minutes. It's about creating a calming atmosphere. Maybe you turn down the lights, you find a meditation cushion, turn on some soothing music.
whatever it may be, but create a sacred space and
to fully engage with the meditation and prepare your mind and body for the practice.
experiment with different techniques. There are various meditation techniques beyond mindfulness meditations. For example, loving kindness meditation or body scan meditations are also available to you. Explore different methods to find one that resonates best with you.
As I mentioned earlier, I often used mantras to help me focus my meditation. If that resonates with you and you want to try on some mantras, run a simple Google search to find simple meditation mantras and consider purchasing a set of japa mala beads
to help you focus your meditation and remain consistent with your mantra.
Last, be patient. Meditation is a skill and it does develop over time as you stick with it. Do not expect immediate results. Just trust the process and enjoy the journey of self -discovery in greater peace. I promise you it is worth it.
you may be wondering right now why meditation is so popular and what benefits you can expect to see from a prolonged practice.
You don't have to look very far to find studies demonstrating the utility of meditation and the impact that it can have on your brain. But suffice it to say, here are a few of the ways that meditation can help you be more focused and productive.
One, improved concentration because meditation trains your mind to maintain focus on the present moment, whether it's your breath, a mantra, or a specific situation. That strengthens your ability to concentrate for extended periods, which is crucial for tackling tasks and projects Two, enhanced cognitive function. Regular meditation has been shown to improve cognitive functions such as memory, decision -making, and problem -solving.
This mental clarity allows you to approach tasks with greater efficiency and effectiveness.
Three, stress reduction. Stress is a significant productivity killer and we all know this. Meditation activates the relaxation response in your body, reducing the production of stress hormones like cortisol. This will help you stay calm under pressure and maintain productivity without feeling overwhelmed.
Four, meditation can actually increase your energy levels. Meditation helps regulate the nervous system, leading to increased energy levels and reduced feelings of fatigue. This sustained energy allows you to stay productive throughout the day without experiencing Five, better time management. By cultivating mindfulness through meditation, you become more aware of how you use your time. You can prioritize tasks more effectively, minimize distractions, and make
conscious choices about where to focus your energy. Six, enhanced creativity. Meditation encourages divergent thinking and creativity by quieting the mind and allowing new ideas to come to the surface. It helps you think outside the box and approach challenges from different perspectives, fostering innovation and problem solving skills. Seven, emotional resilience.
Meditation cultivates emotional intelligence by increasing self -awareness and regulating emotions. This emotional resilience allows you to navigate setbacks and challenges more effectively, maintaining productivity even in stressful situations. Eight, improved sleep Quality sleep is essential for productivity and cognitive function.
Meditation provides relaxation and helps alleviate insomnia and sleep disturbances, ensuring you wake up refreshed and ready to tackle the day ahead.
And that is just a few of the benefits that meditation has to offer. If you're interested in exploring this topic more, as I said, a simple Google search will provide you with ample documentation and research to support the benefits of meditation. I hope that this is enough to encourage you to dive into this practice and begin utilizing the free mindfulness meditations that we are gonna be offering in the upcoming podcast episodes.
I am so excited to have you on this journey with me and to support you to engage in this practice that was so transformative and life -changing for myself.
hope you will join us on this journey and tune in for the upcoming mindfulness meditation episodes.
