What can you do to make sure you're actually meditating and not just sitting in a quiet place?

Friday: Everson’s High-P Fridays FROM THE DESK OF MILES EVERSON: Welcome to today’s edition of “Mindfulness by Miles!” Every Friday, I write articles about a topic or event that I find useful in my daily life. My hope is that my experiences and personal interests will also help you improve in your personal life or career. Today, I’m focusing on the topic of meditation. I personally am fond of doing this activity because it’s simple yet the benefits are vast! My body never fails to feel 10 times better after I meditate. Would you like to know how you can improve your meditation practice too? Continue reading the article below to find out. CEO, MBO Partners Chairman of the Advisory Board, The I Institute

What can you do to make sure you're actually meditating and not just sitting in a quiet place? Meditation is simple yet for some beginners, this practice sometimes feels daunting. In fact, I know a few people who’d like to start meditating but they don’t know how to. Here’s the thing: There’s superficial meditation and deep meditation. You can only learn the difference between these two and improve your technique through consistent practice. A lot of people have been practicing meditation throughout history, and for good reason. I do this too whenever I have time to spare. This exercise rewires the circuitry in your brain and the changes come with loads of benefits such as: Reduced stress Increased self-awareness Improved health … and more. BUT! To experience all the benefits of meditation, you want to know you’re actually meditating, not just sitting in a quiet place. Sure, it’s a given that you won’t experience deep meditation at first especially when you’re still learning the ropes of this exercise. However, there are things you can do to shorten your learning curve and experience the wellbeing that comes with meditating beyond the level of mental chatter. Avoid energy zappers. We aren’t “superhumans” but we still have our own “kryptonites”—anything that makes us feel physically weak. So, if you want to maximize the benefits you can get from meditation, do these tips: Junk food. Eating these kinds of food gives more work for your body cells because they’re fighting off the toxic substances you ingest. Unlike if you eat well-sourced, real food, your cells spend less energy resisting toxins and convert more energy for your body. Expose yourself to hormetic doses of sunlight. Early morning sunlight helps revitalize and energize your body for hours. Besides, artificial lights do not match the ones that come from the sun… and blue light wavelengths mess with your circadian rhythm, so avoid too much exposure to these light sources. Get a good amount of sleep. Lack of sleep is bad for your body. If you’re having a hard time sleeping at night, consider doing a few before-bed exercises, reading, or consulting your physician if the situation doesn’t get better over time. Doing these things helps keep your body in good shape… and the healthier your body is, the more you’ll experience the benefits of meditation. I personally do these tips on a regular basis. They’re effective in helping me get optimum results health-wise! Incorporate exercise into your routine. Meditation and fitness are linked in a way that meditation prepares your body for exercise, and exercise conditions your body to help you meditate better. It’s a two-way street! Additionally, studies show that doing both (meditation and exercise) produces a more calm and controlled thinking, and improved creativity and concentration. So, the next time you don’t feel like exercising, remember the things you could miss out on—in terms of your physical health and meditation. Add good fats to your diet. Food with good fats like avocados, fish, nuts, etc. gives a steady supply of fuel to your body’s mitochondria—the powerhouse of your cells. When your mitochondria are strong, your cells are also strong… and when your cells are strong, you feel awake and alert. Simply said, your mitochondria power everything, including your meditation. While you may think of this exercise as a time to turn off, the reality is your cells and neurons have an active role in getting your mind and body into the beneficial state of meditation. To do what they need to do, your cells and neurons burn a ton of energy that the mitochondria provide. So, to keep the powerhouse of your cells working for your good, make sure to supply them with fuel that comes from high-fat food. — Meditation can be daunting at first but it gets easier as long as you have the patience and determination to consistently practice it. If you’re looking for some guidance while doing this exercise, try downloading a few meditation apps. These software offer a simple timer, allowing you to choose how long you meditate for. Some also offer guided meditations. You may also want to try what I did when I first tried doing meditation—I looked for a quiet place, sat peacefully, closed my eyes, practiced my breathing, and paid attention to my surroundings. I only did this for 10 minutes, yet the benefits I’ve experienced are exponential! I highly recommend that you try meditation too. I hope you learned a lot from today’s “Mindfulness by Miles” article! If you’d like to get more of these articles, feel free to subscribe to The Business Builder Daily to have these delivered to your inbox. Follow us on LinkedIn.