MEDITATION: What Is It, Why Should You Do It, For How Long And How Often

Meditation is showing up for yourself and helps to ensure that you are in tune with your body and are relaxed; and your happiness and love come from within. To focus on yourself, be still and present in the moment. Start with slow, deep breathing, inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth and then repeat the exercise for at least five minutes in the morning increasing it throughout the day until you develop a habit of being in tune with yourself. The quality of your life is measured by the questions you ask yourself, such as how you feel at different times and in different situations.

By asking yourself questions, you will receive the answers that you need. I find meditation to be very helpful when I am struggling with an issue or uncertain about how to articulate a message I want to share. Starting the day with a few minutes of meditation and deciding how you would like to show up during the day for yourself and your loved ones will help you to start the day in a calm, relaxed, and loving way. Living in the moment and being aware of your behavior by acting lovingly and affectionately towards your partner also becomes easier when you start the day by giving your own self the attention you need.

Starting the day with meditation, for example, and envisioning your blessings first thing in the morning will set your day on the positive track. As a Psychoneurologist I have rituals that I do every day in order to feed my spirit and body what it needs most and to be able to be a good role model for my family, friends, and clients. Every morning as soon as I open my eyes, I meditate for at least ten to thirty minutes depending on how much time I have.

Then I start with Shakti breathing (also known as The Fountain of Life) followed by three different Kundalini breath of fire breathing techniques to supercharge and energize my oxygen intake. These alone will wake me up completely so I do not have the urge to drink coffee or tea to wake up. Following these breathing techniques, I start my morning stretches. I do Qigong (pronounced Chi Kung) to eliminate the stress of my day and be energized during the late afternoon.

Before I go to bed, I do a series of relaxing stretches and Ophanim known as “Yoga of Abraham.”