Three Minutes of Meditation
The Setup
Start by making a commitment to meditate. This will require setting aside just three minutes for meditation each day. During these three minutes, you should be alone and away from any sounds or distractions, but no special place is needed. It is preferable that you meditate in the same place and at the same time, but these can be changed if needed. You may meditate while sitting or lying down, or in any position in which your body and mind are comfortable and you are not likely to be stressed or distracted. You also may meditate as you walk, but unless you are fairly advanced at meditation, it will be difficult to avoid distractions.
Minute One
Once you are settled comfortably, you can start your meditation. During the first minute of your meditation start counting your breath—completing each cycle of inhalation and exhalation at the count of one. Do this for approximately one minute or for a count of sixty. Observe the thoughts flowing randomly across your mind. Allow the thoughts to flow.
Minute Two
Start the counting again from one. This time, in the form of a soft whisper add a mantra, meaning “There is One Creator”, that suggests the oneness of all creation–or simply use Ek Omkar, which is like the sound of a chord of music struck silently within your mind. Its vibration invokes the primordial sounds of all the vowels to create the meaning – One. Do this for the count of sixty. You will observe after some days of practice that the flow of thoughts becomes less turbulent and you are able to let go of thoughts that were distracting your meditations in the past.
Minute Three
During this Third Phase, continue to breathe deeply and steadily, but stop counting. Continue to whisper or sound the mantra and reflect on your connection with the One Universal Creative Force. You will observe after some days of practice that the turbulence of your thoughts reduces further and your thoughts flow slower and more steadily. Fewer thoughts distract you. You also will discover that you are able to let go of some of the thoughts that distracted your meditations in the past. Do this for the third minute of your meditation, but do not count. Your level of stress will reduce. You will soon discover that your mind will be drawn to the serenity that this phase of meditation produces and that the third minute’s length will continue to increase as you begin to enjoy the gentle flow of thoughts that bring peace and serenity to your mind.