“The whole day has gone and I’m still left with so much to do!” exclaimed a tense-looking friend at work.I asked her to take a few deep breaths and relax. When she looked a little settled, I calmly put forth a suggestion: a few minutes of meditation daily can help increase your concentration and productivity.To this, pat came the reply, “Yeah right! Where’s the time to meditate when I don’t find enough time to finish my work?”
‘No time’ seems to be the most convenient reason to state when it comes to ‘good life’ practices. Yet we cannot literally add hours to our day, can we? If that were possible, we would customize our weekends to have 36 hours or more!No kidding, meditation can help add hours to our day.We can experience this for ourselves over a period of time as we meditate daily and go deeper in our practice.
Finish your tasks faster
A few minutes of meditation helps us stay focused and calm. The result: we are able to concentrate better and work efficiently. If a task took six hours earlier, you may now be able to complete it in just three! As a student, studying for exams becomes easier. Our contribution at the workplace becomes more significant. We can see the difference even as a homemaker.
If you notice, time seems to fly when we are happy and go very slowly when we are waiting or sad. Only in meditation, the mind transcends time. This has to be experienced.
Brings mind to NOW
Often, without even realizing, a lot of our time is lost because our mind is oscillating between the past and planning for the future. Meditation brings the mind back to the present moment, which is the field of all action– we cannot act in the past or future, we can only act NOW! So, when the mind is in the present, we can do much more in the same time span!
Increased awareness
Meditation increases awareness and skill. As a result, we make fewer mistakes and save the time spent in sorting them out.
Stronger intuition
Some days, our work happens faster while some days seem very dull and things just don’t seem to click.
Daily practice of meditation has some very subtle benefits, one of which is the blossoming of intuition. As our intuition becomes stronger, we do the right things at the right time and whatever we do brings the desired fruit.
Increased energy levels
Sometimes, even after a good night’s sleep of 7-8 hours, we tend to feel lazy, tired and lethargic the following day. Proceeding with the day in the same state of mind can be a real drag. In times like these, meditation is extremely useful. It brings a complete shift in our energy levels and enthusiasm.
Janhavi Saxena, who meditates twice daily, shares her experience: “It’s amazing how, after I started meditating, my mind doesn’t feel so tired now. My day starts at 6 am and even at 11 pm it doesn’t seem thatit’s been such a long day. I’m so high on energy that I still want to do more!”
Meditation- Mind minus Misunderstandings
Misunderstandings in relationships drain a lot of our time and energy. However, the quality of our relationships is transformed when we meditate. The mind becomes calm, thoughts pleasant and speech refined. The skill to communicate effectively and pleasantly develops innately. We know what to say, when, how and in what manner. As a result, we are able to spend quality time with our loved ones more often, instead of trying to sort out misunderstandings.
Tip: Why not meditate together with your loved ones? It can help foster a smooth relationship.
Luck’s on your side
Have you heard yourself saying ‘today’s my lucky day?’ Some days are as smooth as silk when everything happens just the way you want it to, while on some days life seems unfair. With meditation, luck seems to be on your side. You have to experience this to know it.
All this and much more is possible with meditation. Time is on our side when we meditate. And if you are already a good time manager, meditation will only help enhance this skill.
Inspired by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's wisdom talks
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