First, let me Welcome you to my first blog post!
I am a Research Professor by trade, a recovering Attorney, a staunch Advocate, a Certified Holistic Health Coach, #1 Bestselling Published Author, and Motivational Speaker.
I’ll make these pledges to you… I will always show up authentically and with integrity. These are my core values. This means a lot of self-depricating humor, very fast reads, and tips and tricks that will enhance your life.
Here, I would like to share how to start your day if you have not yet mastered the art of meditation. For me it is both an art and a science – and I have not mastered it in either discipline. In fact, I am not even on first base.
Look, I have tried every breathing trick in the book. You have to do this to meditate, right? Seems easy enough. I can breathe – it is actually controlled by the autonomic nervous system so it requires no thought on our part. In a way, I feel like it is cheating a bit, but I’ll take the W. Check.
Now comes the brain. Close your eyes and breathe like this…listen to my voice. Nope. I have X, Y, and Z – this has to happen… Fail. Right out of the gate. In fact, I think within the first couple of seconds I forget I am even listening to anything. Sometimes, I fall asleep. Other times, who knows…
So, if you’re like me, and you struggle with meditation at all, or if you’re a beginner meditator, then this these tips are for you. If you have mastered the art of meditation, then this is also for you because some days you may not have enough time to fit your morning meditation into your daily routine.
Ok. Here is the exercise to feel more alive and stimulated throughout your day. Close your eyes. Try not to fall asleep, for real. Breathe in for a count of four through your nose. Breathe out for a count of three through your mouth. This alone will stimulate your sympathetic nervous system which is responsible for making us feel more alive and stimulated.
If, during your day, however, you experience a triggering event, and you need to come down from it, try this instead. Close your eyes. Inhale through your nose for three counts and exhale through your mouth for four counts. This has the opposite effect. It will calm you down and engage your parasympathetic nervous system. For me, it can make me feel sort of light-headed so make sure you are seated for this one. I mean I hope you are since I also said you should have your eyes closed.
The other thing that has really helped me and served as a Talisman as well is something called the Komuso Shift. I love the way it looks too. It serves as a daily reminder to me to simply take a “beat” and just breathe…focus on the Now. It has innumerable benefits. If you are interested in the Komuso Shift, here is a link that will give you a discount as well. I am what I consider an “ambassador” for them now, because I truly believe in the impact it can have on your life and was recommending it to everyone I knew. Click on this link if you are interested and enter (McDermott15) at checkout to claim your discount: www.komusodesign.com/mcdermott15