Meditation in micro-doses
One of our Black Belt requirements is 15 minutes of daily meditation. Finding or making a contiguous 15 minutes of time with family, job (and early AM calls), karate class & training and other personal obligations has and continues to be a challenge for me. Of course, one must be disciplined and practice through repetition as to groove into a daily routine, but time can be fleeting!
What I have learned to do is rather than sit for one 15 minute meditation period, I have broken up my practice over 3-4 meditation “micro-doses.” I start each day by having at least 5 minutes upon awakening of personal quiet time–it helps to get me centered until I can get my first cup of coffee. As my day unfolds, I will find another 5 minute slot to be still & quiet…to reflect and be with myself. Often times I do this midday. If something frustrates me or I at some point in my day feel stressed or overwhelmed, I will meditate and in doing so find solace within. This often allows me to “reset” and carry on in a better headspace than before I paused to meditate. There are even times when I will meditate for very short 2-3 minute timeframes.
For some years even before I started my karate training and long before I was a black belt candidate, I had tried many forms of meditation. There is no “one size or method fits all” so I’ve found what works for me and my daily routine.