I love to mediate. The sense of strong, calm, stable peace it gives me is a most wonderful feeling. And the more I meditate, the more I am able to carry that into my day whatever it may be. If in the moments of stress in life, I can maintain my grace and self-control (not sublimation but keeping calm and cool) and not become frustrated or angry, I feel I have won that moment. In yoga, it is said that the person who can control their anger, they can rule the world. Not that I am looking to rule the world but living with the human qualities of grace, calm and self-control even in the face of our greatest stresses certainly improves our quality of life and the quality of life of those who surround us.
I do have to admit, I love a short meditation. I love 3 minute meditation techniques. I search for the ones that say…do this for 3 minutes. Or some even say, do not do more than 3 minutes…those can be really special. I have become quite expert in finding them. For me, it is the perfect break during the day to get back to center…to find the Peace Lagoon within me and to refocus my energy. Sometimes, in a busy day, it can be hard to find even 3 minutes, but I have found, if I look hard, that I can always find 3 minutes. It is a game changer and day changer and sometimes, can even be a life changer.
Here is a wonderful meditation that I practice often. It is a 3 minute meditation. It has a super awesome yoga name which is Man Suhaavee Mudra Kryia. The name in itself is a meditation. It means the meditation with the mudra (hand position) that pleases the Mind. The word “Man” means Mind but in the old yogic tradition, “Man” meant the mind / heart. The idea is the mind and heart are one. So this will also please your heart.
The story of the meditation is that one day, Buddha was sitting and his students came to him and said, “Master, our mind is not controlled.” And Buddha taught them this short meditation. He said that it will control and tranquilize the Mind within 3 minutes.
To do the meditation:
Posture: Sit in easy pose with your spine straight. You can also sit in a chair and have both feet flat on the floor.
Mudra (Hand Postion): With the hands, touch the fingertips together and curl the little fingers in, the ring fingers in and the index fingers in towards the palms. The middle fingers are extended straight and the thumbs are extended straight. Place the hands about 4 inches (10 cm) in front of your heart with the middle fingers point away from you and the thumbs towards your heart. Have your elbows out towards your sides so the arms are parallel to the ground.
Eye Position: The eyes are about 1/10 open and you look at the tip of your nose. Breath: Inhale and hold the breath and mentally repeat any mantra of your choice 11 times. Then exhale the air all out, keep the air out and repeat the same mantra 11 times. For example, you could mentally repeat Sat Nam 11 times. It means my identity is truth or I bow to the truth. Repeat the process for 3 minutes. Then inhale, hold the breath for about 10 seconds and relax. You’ll feel great.
On challenging days, I may do this meditation a few times. Do it as often as you like.
Remember, when you do the meditation, do it without strain. The name and goal of the meditation is tranquility so practice in a relaxed manner is key.
Mudra (hand position) for the Meditation: