To have a success mindset, you must pay attention to thinking thoughts that are directed toward your success.
But I must point out that, in practicing your success thinking, it’s possible to get stuck in too much mental process. So, it is important that you come to know the difference between your mind and your own essence or being. Meditation is one of the techniques that can help.
About Body, Mind, and Spirit
Before jumping into meditation, it is valuable to have at least a basic understanding of the distinctions between the three primary parts of yourself – body, mind, and spirit. A full treatment of this would come under the study of spirituality or perhaps philosophy, but in the study of mindsets for success, you need to have a basic notion of how the mind works and how body, mind, and spirit interact.
You at your core are “being” or “spirit” which can be thought of as pure consciousness or awareness. Consciousness is creative, and it enables the physical realm of energy and matter to exist, at least at the Universal level. I believe, as many quantum physicists and life scientists believe, that consciousness is primary – that is, it creates space, time, and matter, and not the other way around.
It’s fine if you prefer to believe, instead, that physical world is primary, and consciousness somehow arises from the physical. Through our senses, that certainly seems to be the case. But if you could see the Universe at the level of pure consciousness and its physical components at the level of the quantum field, you would see otherwise.
And what is important is to know that you are an individuated part of Universal consciousness and, through your thoughts and states of awareness, you participate actively in the creative process of Life.
And you have two big tools to assist you in living: your body which enables you to interact with the physical realm, and your mind which allows you to think and interact with the world in a predictable way that you can control.
Mind and body interact with each other such that a change in your mind (such as changing your thoughts) will affect your body and how you feel physically, and a change in your body (such as a change in your posture or movement) will affect your mind and produce different thoughts. Your brain, by the way, does not house your mind but is the tuner or sophisticated physical interface between your mind and body.
But as I said, with mental techniques you can get stuck in too much thinking. Meditation is a technique that can help you know the difference between the two.
Most people spend too much time thinking and, in so doing, they lose touch with their own true self and their own inherent power to live consciously, creatively, and abundantly. Thinking, especially about the past or the future, takes you away from the living in the moment. Meditation quiets the mind by focusing on one thing and, by so doing, allows your “inner being” to become more present and powerful.
Meditation is the proven way to reconnect with your inner self and to live more naturally and creatively – and therefore more successfully. I strongly recommend that, if you don’t already meditate, you learn how to meditate as a way of becoming more present and empowered.
Your body also provides a way to connect with your inner self, and that is through body awareness or attention to your feelings. When you become still and place your attention on what you are feeling in your body – especially when you do so without judgment of the goodness or badness of the feelings – you move closer to awareness of “what is” and awareness of your true self. Doing so is a type of mindfulness, and it can also be called an “awareness meditation”.
How to Meditate
There are many types of meditation, but here I will describe two that are simple for beginners. You can try each type and do them for 3-5 minutes. You should never meditate while driving or operating machinery. Your goal in meditation is to quiet the mind and move yourself to greater peace and the feeling of being centered and alert. No special pose or posture is required.
“Following the Breath” is a very simple technique that focuses on your breath, and you can easily adapt it for reducing stress at any time that you can be by yourself for a few minutes.
Following the Breath
- Lie down or sit in a comfortable position.
- Close your eyes and relax. Allow your breathing to deepen and slow down.
- Continue to breath naturally and comfortably. Do not make an effort to control your breath.
- Focus your attention on your breath and how your body feels as you inhale and exhale. Simply continue to relax and observe your breath and body feelings. If your mind wanders, bring your attention back to your breath.
The “Om Sound Meditation” is very similar to “Following the Breath” but it focuses on a sound that you say out loud or mentally to yourself. There is no special significance to “om” (although many Indian gurus claim that it is “the sound of creation”). This is not the same as Transcendental Meditation but is somewhat related. This has always been my preferred method of meditation.
Om Sound Meditation
- Lie down or sit in a comfortable position.
- Close your eyes and relax. Allow your breathing to deepen and slow down.
- Continue to breath naturally and comfortably. Do not make an effort to control your breath.
- At the start of each exhalation of breath, say “om” (out loud or mentally) and extend the sound through the exhalation. Focus your attention on the sound and how your body feels as the sound moves through it. Continue to repeat with each exhalation. If your mind wanders, bring your attention back to the sound of “om”. I prefer to be by myself for this one so I can say Om out loud and feel the sound vibration physically.
Once you begin to feel comfortable with meditating for 3-5 minutes at a time, begin to extend the meditation to longer periods until you feel comfortable meditating for 20-30 minutes. If possible, meditate each day for at least 15 minutes but ideally 30. Twice daily for 15 minutes works very well for some people. But, the more you meditate the more benefit you will experience.
If you ever feel that you are getting stuck in mental process, change your focus immediately to the physical – doing something with your body, anything, such as walking briskly, dancing, or playing a musical instrument – and let your body take over. Focus on feeling your body and the pleasures of your body in motion. If you are an experienced meditator, you can of course quiet your mind through meditation.