By Laura Tirello
16 May 2011

Meditation. When you hear the word you automatically envision a calm yogi in a seated position looking extremely peaceful. You are thinking there’s no way that could be me. After all, he doesn’t have to deal with long commutes, deadlines, and other modern day life responsibilities. You are absolutely right; his way of meditating is not right for you. Most of us can not spend even an hour a day in a prayer-like position. And we are not Yogis.

Stop trying to be something that you are not. I talk to many people who desire to start a meditation practice, but never do because they think it has to be done a certain way. Meditation has a countless number of mental and physical health benefits. It has been shown to decrease stress, improve concentration and focus, reduce the severity of the symptoms of IBS, depression/anxiety, and fibromyalgia. What I tell clients is to do meditation your own way and on your own time.

Are you so revved up you can’t sit still? Try a short guided meditation where someone is talking you through it. Don’t have 15 or 20 minutes to spare? Break your meditation time up. Only have a minute? Meditate for a minute at a time. You can do this anywhere and anyway you like. Just focus on your breath for a minute at your desk, in the bathroom, or alone on an elevator. You pick the place.

The important thing is to make it a habit. You may feel relaxed immediately, but you will definitely see the best results with long term practice. You can also mix it up. Do it different ways on different days or times. The important thing is to focus on getting your body into the state of rest and digest. After doing this for a while, your body will start to crave the calming effect that comes from a daily meditation practice.

Laura Tirello is a Career and Life Coach. Her company, Core Life Design, works with people who are successful, but not satisfied, and are ready to reinvent themselves in the workplace and beyond. Get a copy of my *free* special report: “Career Gridlock: 4 Ways to Get Unstuck”. Visit corelifedesign.com for more information. Laura can be contacted at Laura@corelifedesign.com