Westside Toastmasters is located in Los Angeles and Santa Monica, California - Westside Toastmasters on Meetup

Keep Breathing

Meditation is a fantastic way of suppressing the left brain and focusing our creativity.

I'd like you to experiment with sitting and paying attention to your breath for two minutes upon waking and before sleeping every day for a week.

Sit with your feet flat on the floor, either cross-legged on the floor or on an armless chair. Sit straight, with your ears over your shoulders over your hips. Feel the area about two inches below your navel. Inhale into this place. When you inhale, your belly should expand. When you exhale, your belly should contract.

(Keep your belly soft and pliable. This is not the time to 'hold it in.' No one's looking.)

Count 'one' as you breathe in; count 'two' as you breathe out. Then count 'three' as you breathe in and 'four' as you breathe out. Keep going up to ten, then start over at one. If your mind wanders and you find yourself thinking about something else, gently start over at one. If you realize suddenly that you're on thirty-six, gently start over at one.

When a thought comes, thank it for showing up, then let it go. Thoughts should appear and disappear like clouds on a blue sky. Always bring your attention back to rest lightly on your breath.

Record in your journal what you experience. It may be nothing at first. You may be resistant in the beginning. Just keep at it, learn heuristically, and see what unfolds in front of you.