Try bite-sized meditation

How even busy people can practice moments of calm

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.
Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Today's tip is to try bite sized meditations. Little three
minute spurts of mindfulness can change how we see the day.

(00:27):
Today's tip, like some others this week, comes from Melissa
Staginess's new book, Everyday Mindfulness. This book features over one
practices for building mindfulness into everyday life. Tip number fifty
one is to meditate in small doses. Often people assume
that meditation requires sitting still and monk like for hours,

(00:52):
which for most of us is not going to happen.
By the time I have any extended period of quiet
in my house, it's nighttime, and if I try to
close my eyes and sit in stillness, I will fall asleep.
But Melissa suggests that looking for three moments for a
three minute mini meditation can work too. To help you

(01:15):
do this, she writes, set three alarms, one at each meal.
If that's easiest to act as reminders, then she writes,
at each alarm, do a three minute awareness exercise. During
minute one, focus on your breath, practicing some deep breathing
exercises inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth.

(01:38):
During minute two, focus on your body. Clench your fists
and then relax them. Clench your feet and relax them,
and so forth. Then during minute three, focus on the mind,
she says, close your eyes, sit still, and observe your
thoughts and feelings. During that last minute, Melissa says, acknowledge

(02:03):
your thoughts and feelings as they come and go. Imagine
placing each one on a leaf and setting it afloat
on the surface of a slow moving river that gently
carries it away. Rather than judging your thoughts or striving
for an empty mind, simply notice what comes up. Then
thank your brain for bringing this to your attention, and

(02:24):
send the thought on its way. If three minutes at
a pop seems too long at first, then you could
probably even compress this. But my guess is that you
could find three minutes at each meal or around then
if you tried at breakfast, try a many meditation while
your coffee is brewing, or even while you're in the

(02:45):
shower at lunch, you could make the most of the
three minutes you nuke your leftovers in the microwave in
the evening. You can find a moment while the oven
is preheating, or you're waiting for water to boil, or
some one else's setting the table for dinner. Or here's
an idea. Next time you pull out your phone to
check Instagram to fill three minutes while you are bored,

(03:08):
try focusing on your breath, your body, and then your
mind instead. Will this work miracles? Well? Probably not, but
it is something, And when life feels overwhelming and rushed,
pausing to focus for even three minutes can change the narrative.

(03:29):
I am not running out of time. I have time.
I have all the time in the world, or at
least as much as anyone else. I can watch these
thoughts float down the river, take a deep breath and
be tranquil. So today, try pausing for three minutes around

(03:53):
each meal to do a mini meditation. Maybe it won't work,
but maybe it might. And if a minutes spent breathing
deeply rather than feeling tense, is probably time well spent.
In the meantime, This is Laura. Thanks for listening, and
here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody,

(04:22):
I'd love to hear from you. You can send me
your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with me.
On Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod. That's
B the number four, then Breakfast p o D. You
can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast podcast.
At i heeart media dot com that before Breakfast is

(04:45):
spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much, I
look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a
production of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from my
heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. H