Equanimity
Equanimity – the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as “evenness of mind especially under stress”. Picture the eye of a hurricane – surrounding it contains the most intense winds and torrential rain of the storm, while where you stand the winds are calm and the skies are blue.
We often picture mindfulness and meditation as a bald Buddhist monk in a tranquil temple up in the mountains of Tibet, where peace surrounds the experience. However, as everyday men, we cannot escape the stresses of everyday life – from work and family obligations to even just the chaos of the urban jungle around us with constant noise and unnatural sounds.
Here are the top 3 tips on developing an equanimity mindfulness practice:
Approach Meditation as a Habit
If you are new to meditation, it can feel extremely uncomfortable and challenging at the beginning.
However, if you want to start meditation as part of your identity development, then if you approach it like any good habit you want to develop – by giving it time and repeating it numerous times even when uncomfortable – it will eventually become much more natural and you will find yourself .
Practice Breathing
There are numerous breathing exercises you can perform at any time to help immediately reduce stress and anxiety. Some common breathing techniques are:
Boxed Breathing – where you breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, then breathe out for 4 seconds and hold for 4 seconds. The 4 seconds can be replaced with anything that is more comfortable for you – such as 3 seconds or 5 seconds.
4-6 Breathing – exhaling for longer durations than inhaling actually can help to immediately reduce stress and anxiety by lowering your heart rate. This technique includes breathing in for 4 seconds, then breathing out for a longer 6 seconds.
Two Quick Inhales, One Long Exhale – take two quick but deep inhales, followed by a longer deeper exhale.
Learn more on why exhaling for longer durations than inhaling actually can help to immediately reduce stress and anxiety by lowering your heart rate.
Meditate With Ease
There are many meditation apps and other resources out there, but the top recommended apps for meditation are Aura, Calm and Headspace.
All come with their own unique benefits, including intuitive user interfaces, meditation sessions geared towards novices, and individual sessions or courses to suit your needs.
Register now to receive personalized advice and product recommendations to start building your meditation practice.
