By Jess Simmons, NASM CPT, Certified Yoga Instructor

The benefits of meditation have been widely publicized in recent years, but the practice of meditation remains elusive and intimidating to most. Luckily, the amount of time and effort required to achieve huge results is shockingly minimal. This simple 5 minute meditation is a fantastic way to start seeing the benefits of mindfulness in your day to day life. All you need is a place to sit and a timer. Everyone has different results from incorporating meditation into their lives, but the most common effects are decreased stress and increased happiness.

Meditation Instructions:

1.)    Find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed

2.)    Turn off ringer on phone, but set a timer for 5 minutes

3.)    Sit comfortably and close the eyes. Be sure the spine is tall and the shoulders are relaxed.

4.)    Begin counting the length of your breath.

• Inhale while counting slowly to 5
• Exhale while counting slowly to 5

5.)    Continue to count the length of your breath for the entire duration of the session.

6.)    Finish session when 5 minute timer goes off.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

You WILL NOT spend the entire 5 minutes counting the length of your breath – expect your mind to wander away from you. This means you are meditating correctly because losing focus on your meditation is a vital part of the process. The cognitive growth happens when you realize that you have lost control of your mind, and you bring your attention back to counting the length of your breath.

The meditative practice is not one of steady-state meditation, but rather a cycle of losing focus and gaining it back. Every time your mind leaves your meditation and you bring it back, you become slightly mentally stronger. Over time, these slight gains in focus lead to a greater ability to control your thoughts, feelings, and emotions instead of letting them control you.