What kind of meditation can I do at my desk?

April 15th, 2012

Guest Author: Ellen Davis, NP, DNP

There is a common misconception that meditation can only be done in far off monasteries, hours at a time.  In fact, meditation can be practiced in your daily life, even at work.   Meditation comes in many forms.  We are going to discuss two simple types today that you can do at your desk or outdoors in a park on your lunch break.

• Guided Imagery Meditation– narrow your thoughts to focus on one image, visualizing an object or scene that is comforting and seeing yourself there.  Put yourself in that space and try to smell the scents (the saltiness of the ocean,etc.) feel the breezes, and hear the sounds.  There are websites where you can download a narrated meditation to start like The Healing Waterfall.  Even simpler, place a photo of your last enjoyable vacation on your desk, and imagine yourself there.
• Mantra Meditation– Close your eyes, and recite a phrase over and over.  In doing so, you decrease “mental chatter” and step away from the stresses on your computer.   Buddhist and Hindu traditions will often use “OM” or “Om Shanti” but you can feel free to use any phrase which brings peace and comfort.

 

These techniques are great and simple to practice whenever you feel stressed or overwhelmed at work.  They are also effective for preventing stress-related headaches.