Five Minute Mediation Article (11/12/21)
In about 2016 I started looking into meditation. I found a few YouTube videos and took what I learned and put it into practice. I would sit on a pillow on the floor, put my headphones on and I would play Binaural Frequencies in the background and set a timer for 15 minutes. It was a random practice for me. I wasn’t very consistent with it. But when I did meditate, I would open my eyes as the timer went off and I just remember the peaceful bliss that came over me.
From 2017-2019 I pretty much forgot about and didn’t utilize meditation. It wasn’t until, I met my Philosophy professor, Larry Castellani in the Fall of 2019, that I started practicing meditation again. He opened my mind and heart to the idea. I started practicing again in a similar manner to how I did in 2016. I was aiming for 7-15 minutes a day. It wasn’t a daily practice but at least 4 days a week. I saw progress which was awesome. I also found that I could meditate without any white noise. I’d just find a quiet room in my house and meditate.
During the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 I was out of work for many months. I was going downhill quick mentally and physically. I was very depressed and saw really no hope. In this time, I realized I needed meditation more than ever. But it wasn’t until I started my new job at Carhartt in the spring of 2021 where I actually took the practice serious and made it consistent. This was the start of my new life and breaking the cycle of depression and constant anxiety.
Currently I am on a great track with meditation. At a minimum I try to do one 5-minute session per day. I usually do this lying down or in a recliner. I put on Deep Theta Binaural Beats and set a timer for 5 minutes. Ideally on a good day I will have two sessions, one before work and one after. I go with the flow and if I have extra time that day or I feel I need a longer session than I will plan for 10-15 minutes. On average is my longest session is only 15-20 minutes. I have done up to 40 minutes before but at some point, it may turn into a nap for me.
The big benefits/takeaways I have had from meditation are pretty simple. Meditation provides me a clearer mind so I can approach situations in a better manner. This doesn’t just work while you are laying down with your eyes closed. It transfers to your day to day life as long as you are consciously trying to use it.
You are in complete control of your meditation process. When you first start it may not feel that way. But with practice you can use meditation as a tool. Whether it be to deal with a past trauma, relax and clear your mind or to focus and visualize the future, meditation can do the trick. One of my favorite sayings I’ve heard when it comes to meditation goes something like this… “meditation is like clearing your email inbox. Every day you sit down and delete some of those thoughts or “emails” until one day you get to magic zero.” I heard Naval Ravikant say something along those lines and it really made sense to me.
I am by no means an expert on this topic, but I wanted to share with everyone my process. I can truly say that the minimum of 5 minutes I set aside for myself to meditate is one of the best parts of my day. It refreshes me and gives me a new energy.
Update: 4/19/22
Since I wrote this a few months ago, I have found new practices that have helped me. I have experimented with many different forms and styles of mediation. I still aim for the minimum of five minutes a day, but now I mostly do them in any space I am in. I may be at home challenging myself to drown out the sounds surrounding me, or it may be that I am in my truck before work. I realized that the location does not matter so much as the practice does. Even throughout my day I find myself being more present. If I notice that my mind is busy and distracted, I simply take a moment, focus on a few deep diaphragmatic breathes and soak in my surroundings. More times than not I see the beauty that is all around. The weave of the fabric I am wearing, the blank space on the wall, the way the light shimmers on the leaves. All of these things have always been there, I just was not open to seeing them.
Peace, Love and Positivity
Happiness, Strength and Health 🙏
Jordan DiVirgilio
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