Up Your (Inner) Game
We've heard that phrase every day since our first day in this world. You have to be in time for school, need to be better than your colleagues, need to win contests, games, be no.1 anytime and anywhere. It becomes a constant need to be alert and on the run.
What about the real ''YOU''? The one that becomes suffocated by the immense need to win something. Is there, somewhere, hidden in the darkest corner of your mind, constantly beaten up by ''the voice'' that is planning, running, winning, deciding for you all the time.
You are probably wondering if I have some mental issues talking about ''a voice'' in my head. :) Well, fortunately I don't, we all have ''the voice'' that is buzzing inside our heads, suffers for the past and is planing the future.
I recently managed to understand that this ''bossy'' voice in my head can be quieted.
How?! Simple! Meditation.
I know you probably heard about mindfulness for like 100 times today only. And you probably don't have time to read and study about what exactly is needed to be mindful.
I don't have the recipe but what I can tell you from my own experience is that 5 min a day of just being aware of the inhale and exhale can ''up your inner game'' and delete stress by rewiring your brain.
I am not talking about siting for hours in a full lotus pose, humming and reciting mantras.
I am talking about being mindful that sometimes something inside your mind is taking over your life and you can stop it by just bringing the awareness to your breath. Meditation is able to dissolve the invisible walls that the unawareness has built.
Studies showed that when you inhale your heart rate increases and when you exhale it slows down (ever wondered why everybody sighs when out of a stressful situation?!)
The breath is the only path you can access the parasympathetic nervous system (rest-and-digest). This system should be our normal state for 90% of the time. Unfortunately, we don't have the luxury of being stressed only 10% of our time when a tiger wants to eat us.
But we can make a choice of being aware when we lose control.
Start with 5 min a day. I promise you will change your life.
The goal of meditation is not to control your thoughts, it's to stop them control you!
