I had not been home from Vietnam very long, in 1972, when I met a charismatic man in his mid-forties, with salt and pepper hair and a broad smile. He introduced me to meditation . . . acquiring the creative, sleepy state of mind also known as the alpha state. Thus began a lifelong quest to learn more about and practice meditation.

Over the years I have practiced meditating in the park, on hiking trips in lush forests, in front of a warm fireplace during the winter, in my office at work, when home with the flu, or while sitting in Starbuck’s; you can meditate anywhere for any reason and be better for it.

During the 1990s, I traveled to Nepal twice; on the last trip I was able to spend some quality time with Buddhist monks at a monastery deep among the jagged peaks of the towering Himalayas. There I learned how meditation was used in their daily rituals and prayers and how I could use it to improve clarity in my life.

For me, clarity is a goal, a destination, a place of intelligence and knowledge. Self-examination, concentration, discipline, and understanding are all related to clarity. When one has clarity, life becomes easier; goals are achieved more quickly, and one attracts an electrified energy that enables the person to be more creative in all he does.

Meditation is an ancient, elegant tradition that has been practiced worldwide by people who wish to be more in control of their thoughts, their health, and their lives and to connect with higher powers for enlightenment. But, simply put, meditation allows you to calm and quiet your mind from daily chaos, often revealing clarity for troubling issues.

Of the many uses of meditation, some are to rest and reenergize your body, to calm a tense situation, to pray, to solve a problem, to control habits, to plan, to visualize achievement of goals, or to be deliciously quiet.

Back in 1972, I learned a technique that invites the meditative state by softly touching the thumb, forefinger and middle finger of each hand together, while your arms rest at your side or in your lap. The process goes like this:

• Close your eyes, allow your mind to become quiet, and take a deep breath. As you exhale, visualize the number three, three times in your mind’s eye (I mentally see the descending numbers you find in elevators as my mind’s eye picture).
• Take another deep breath, and as you exhale, visualize the number two, three times.
• Take another deep breath, and as you exhale, visualize the number one, three times. At the conclusion of the third and final deep breath, you will have acquired the alpha or meditative state of mind.
• When you are ready to become alert and active again, simply wiggle your fingers and toes slightly, take a deep breath, open your eyes, smile and be happy.

After only a few meditative sessions using this technique, the brain will make the connection, so from then forward, you can simply touch the three fingers together, take a couple of deep breaths and you will slide into alpha quickly and easily.

Meditation is one of life’s free pleasures and only requires slow, concentrated breathing, a quiet place to sit, and about 20 minutes. Obviously, like the monks of Nepal, you may choose to burn a stick of fragrant incense and meditate for hours, but for most of us, 20 minutes is about all it takes to make our days significantly better.

Most every day, I meditate either in the morning, before I begin my day, or around 3:00 P.M., when I feel my energy ebb and need to recharge. Sometimes I have an agenda that I want to explore, trying to open new thoughts to a problem and reveal a solution. Closing your eyes and quieting the mind allows it to function more clearly and more efficiently, often with astounding results.

With this technique, meditation can be combined with other activities, such as Yoga. Yoga is as ancient as meditation, and the two work well together. Enter the meditative state through the process described above, open your eyes, and begin your poses, focusing your mind on your body, individual muscles, or joints and concentrating on your breathing, moving slowly with intent. You will find that your Yoga sessions take on a whole new value when performed this way.

Another place I find this technique to be helpful is in traffic. When traffic is heavy, moving slowly, and I find myself impatient, I will invite an “eyes-open” functional alpha state, calm down, relax, and look for the good in my day, appreciating the sunshine, the air-conditioning, or my solitude and looking forward to something nice later in the day.

You can also apply this usage to a tough day at work: close the door to your office and take a few minutes to quiet your mind and relax before tackling a tough assignment or customer call.

I encourage you to make meditation part of your day—the uses and rewards are many. You will find yourself happier, healthier, and more in control. What more can we ask for?

** This article is one of 101 great articles that were published in 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life. To get complete details on “101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life”, visit http://www.selfgrowth.com/greatways3.html

Author's Bio: 

Keith E. Renninson is an energetic entrepreneur, motivational speaker, and coauthor of the popular parenting tool and illustrated storybook Zooch the Pooch, My Best Friend, published through Twinkletopia, LLC. Additionally, Keith owns Golden Years Videos, LLC, a film production company dedicated to offering exercise videos for those over 50 or anyone rehabilitating from a serious accident or illness. Now in his late fifties, Renninson regularly competes in bicycle time trials and road races and skis the black diamond runs in Colorado, where he lives. You can contact Keith and view more information on both companies’ products at ZoochThePooch.com and GoldenYearsVideo.com.