I am a big believer in the restorative power of meditation. Not only does it bring mental clarity and acuity, it makes the body stronger and healthier. Indeed, clients who begin regular meditation tell me they get sick far less frequently.
In addition to having a good night’s sleep, taking breaks for meditation can be an incredibly effective form of rest, especially if you have spells of broken sleep during the night. We’re already seeing more Western companies offer collective meditation sessions for employees throughout the day to increase productivity. On Hell Week’s Friday, I want you to try it out several times throughout the day.
The goal is to reach a meditative state in which you’re neither asleep nor awake. Meditation experts talk about scales of consciousness. At the top of the scale is “wide awake,” at the bottom “deep sleep.” Between the two extremes are other levels. Imagine you’re in a deep sleep before being awakened by a slamming door caused by the wind. As you sink back down into sleep, there will be a moment where you’re suspended between the two levels. This is the meditative state.
When I took my first course in meditation, I became aware of these levels. There is something remarkable about them, the way a person, with proper training and technique, can actually move into a level and stay there without progressing further. In that state, you become balanced and calm, your mind clears, and your body experiences absolute rest.
As I got more into meditation, I was amazed to learn how many hugely successful people are practitioners—though I shouldn’t have been surprised. The who’s who of meditators includes names like Bill Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, Clint Eastwood, Tina Turner, David Lynch, Arianna Huffington, and George Lucas. Sigmund Freud and Winston Churchill used their own forms of meditation, as did Leonardo da Vinci, who reportedly meditated to manage his work with increasing efficiency throughout his life.
While I strongly recommend taking a proper course on meditation, below are a couple of exercises you can try on Friday. They’re not meditation per se, but they serve a similar purpose. And you can do them anywhere—on a bus, in a parked car, at the office, or in the comfort of home. Try to find somewhere you won’t be disturbed, and do one of the exercises at least every other hour on Friday, spending five to ten minutes each time. Ideally, you should be seated comfortably in a chair during both exercises, without leaning your head back on a headrest.
Exercise One: The Keys Meditation Method
Take out a set of keys and hold it in your hand in such a way that when you drop it, it will fall to the floor. Close your eyes. Take three deep breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Feel yourself relax. Isolate one group of muscles at a time and feel them relax. Breathe normally. Try to fall asleep. As you enter the level where you lose control of your body, you will drop the keys, ending the exercise. You’ll have had a perfect short break that will ensure you’re better prepared to continue the day’s tasks with full focus and extreme efficiency. This is an effective “power nap,” in which you move relatively quickly through several levels of sleep.
Exercise Two: Bertrand’s Little Rest
Sit as comfortably as you can, planting the soles of your feet on the floor. Let your hands lie loosely on your lap. Close your eyes. Breathe in and out deeply three times.
Do as you did in the previous exercise, going through all the parts of your body and muscle groups. Think about your feet. Envisage them inside your shoes and socks, and see that they are relaxed completely. Your legs and thighs, feel that they are totally at ease and check if they can become even more relaxed. Your diaphragm should go in and out with your breath. Make sure your jaw muscles and the muscles elsewhere in your body are relaxed.
Breathe in and out three times. What do you hear? For about one minute, you should be extremely focused on what you hear. What sounds are there around you? Can you manage to distinguish one sound from another? Can you hear your breath? Can you hear your heartbeat? Do you hear any sounds from a distance? What do you smell? For about one minute, you should be extremely focused on what you smell. What smells are there around you right now? Can you distinguish one from another? Can you smell your own scent? What do you taste? For about one minute, you should try to identify what taste you have in your mouth. What did you eat last? Can you still taste it? Are there different tastes on different parts of your tongue?
Think of a situation when you were happy. For three to five minutes you should be in that situation. It may be a long time ago, or quite recently. Where were you? What did you see? What did you hear? Immerse yourself in the situation as best you can. What did you feel? What did you notice? What did you do? What were you thinking? Concentrate on your breathing for about one minute. Follow your breath in through your nose, down your windpipe, and deep down into your lungs. Follow it out again. Imagine you have a camera following the progress of your breath as it goes in and out. For two to three minutes, you will imagine your life in your dreams. Imagine that you have realized one or several of your great goals. Use all your senses and see yourself being successful. Feel what it’s like to obtain what you deserve. For one final minute, try to simply be. Empty your head. Take a peek at your watch, because you should spend a maximum of twenty minutes total on this exercise.