Meditation is becoming the mainstream. Start early and win at life.

Study shows approximately 1 in 7 workers engage in mindfulness-based activity in the past decade. About 927,000 kids in the United States starts meditating in school, meditation is offering across corporate environment, rehabilitation centres and even jails.

More and more scientific researches prove meditation benefits us in various levels physically and mentally. It enhances productivity, brain focus, creativity. It reduces blood pressure, lower cholesterol, improves sleep and reverse age. It lowers anxiety, promotes relaxation, improves self-esteem and relationships.

Dalai Lama claimed, "If every 8 year old in the world is taught meditation, we will completely eliminate violence from the world within one generation.”

Stress and anxiety are on the rise and meditation is becoming the mainstream. It is no longer a new age thing. It is a trend of holistic lifestyle and a functional tool towards simple happiness. It is the time to kick away the old misconceptions today. The earlier you start and make the most out of it the earlier you win at life.

“It doesn’t relate to me. I’m not new age nor a spiritual person."

Many of us always separate ourselves from mindfulness practice by categorised it as a new age activity. As if someone stereotypes durian smells and tastes like farts and garbage which they have not even tried it in advance.

I challenge you today:

Be open-minded, have a new perception on mindfulness. It is a practical tool helping us to get a life. It is something as common as breathing which everyone of us can benefit from it just somehow the yogis and hippies started earlier than most of us. Our egos tend to say ‘no’ when we start cultivating a new habit and separate us from the true self. Never say never before you truly experience, give yourself a chance to try, feel and live differently.

“It’s hard for me to focus."

We all have monkey minds and meditation is a huge obstacle for most of us in this chaotic stressful society. Leg numbness, mind wandering, resistance, time wasting might be the first thing come to your mind, and these are all okay. No one needs mindfulness practice if these do not exist. The fact is, we need to see the ultimate benefit beyond these struggles and know how to start and cope with them.

I challenge you today:

Start small and simple. Meditation does not mean you need to sit like buddha with crossed-leg lotus position and do it for all day long. Choose to sit on a chair or against the wall in the most comfortable position to start with, just need to make sure you are sitting up straight which promote easy focusing when all the chakras are aligned. Starts even with a one-minute practice, challenge yourself in this one minute focus only on your breathe. Bring it in slowly and deeply towards the belly, feel the air flowing in and out from our body with ease.

“I don’t have time."

Life is tough. Meetings from meetings, balance between job, relationship and personal life occupied most of our time. People may say “I don’t even have time to eat. If I do have some leisures, why not go for a movie, sleep, spa, happy hour or something cheerful but meditate?” It is great we listen to ourselves to do what we want to do. And it is important when you are listening, are you really listening to the true voice inside you, is that really what you want? or does that bring you a long lasting relaxation and joy after all?

I challenge you today:

Create your time to live instead of allowing your time to rule your life. Seeing the true benefit of meditation is to keep ultimate balance in life, gain control over mind and attentions, work and live consciously and achieve instant calmness in chaos. It is a button to reset and gain clarity in life. Priorities happiness, schedule meditation like a meeting with your inner wisdom. Mark it on your calendar and practice it like a pro, and experience how it gradually keeps you in peace in the busiest days or allows you to enjoy every leisure to the fullness and live your life differently.

Meditation is a process instead of a quick fix solution. Enjoy and experience into it without judgement, criticism. Be creative and always have fun in it. Everything get you back to present is a meditation, you can meditate even when you eat.

Let's end this article with some fun. Chew your food like this chill llama I met last week on Machu Pichu, breathe into every single bite and stay fun in the easy mindfulness process.