Water-based Meditation Practice
This is a habit I have been developing recently that has been a huge help for me. Since recently I have been spending so much time in front of the computer and in my room, I have found difficulty in focus and avoiding distractions. This is a very simple technique that requires zero prior skill in meditation. In fact, this would be a great introductory practice for those wanting to meditate more. As this practice can help with some the commonly faced roadblocks of meditating, habits and routine.
The Prerequisites
- water, preferably cold and from a good source (something besides warm tap water)
- a task at hand
- (optional) a writing utensil and a piece of paper, or a digital platform set up to quickly take a note with no distractions
The Problem
- distracting thought
- future "tripping" (unnecessary worry about what might happen later in the day, week, year etc.)
- stimuli in workspace (dog barking, unimportant phone call, social media notification, etc.)
The Process
- experience one of the aforementioned problems
- (optional) transcribe very briefly what the problem is, write a quick solution, etc
- take a deep breath in through your nose, affirming yourself (Some general examples: I am focused, I cannot control the future, I can finish this task)
- exhale through your mouth, letting go of the distractions or worries as you do so
- mindfully take a drink of water, and then go back to your task
My Subjective Results
- gives me an extremely short, yet powerful moment where I can ease some of the tension I might have
- contributes to positive neuroplasticity, allows me to build the habit of focusing on the task at hand, something that I have historically struggled with
- allows every time I drink water, even without the deep breath before, to be a decompressing and meditative experience
- simple and quick, takes me about 15 seconds maximum
- makes my workflow more productive and efficient when the level of distraction is mitigated