Your mind will continually drift or zone out when you want it to be focused in the moment on today's challenges - this is perfectly normal and to be expected. However, when you notice that your mind has wandered, you are actually now back in the present! Reminding yourself to "be all here" or by saying "NOW" can be helpful when you discover that your mind has strayed to despair about the past or worries about the future. Extraneous thoughts don't need to be given a lot of air-time. Train your mind through increased self-awareness and mental
discipline to remain squarely in the present.
The best way in which to train your mind (and relax your body!) is through a regular meditation practice. Meditation has been around for over 2,500 years, and for good reason. A quiet mind is a powerful mind. Extraneous or jumbled thoughts reduce the quality of our focus. Full focus is a key characteristic of being in "the zone." The mind becomes calm like still water. The body becomes free and loose. All of your abilities are at your fingertips. Practicing the following meditation exercise 10-20 minutes each day will help you to peak your performance (and your experience!) on a more consistent basis.
"Let your eyes close and place your hands in your lap ... relax your shoulders and unhinge the jaw ... keep your spine erect and sit still ... listen to the breath ... coming in ... and going out ... let your belly do the breathing ... slowly ... and deeply ... there is nowhere for you to go ... there is nothing else for you to do ... each time your breath is going out silently say the word "clear" ... allowing any other thoughts to come and go without attachment ... let them just go on by ... as you return to the word "clear" on each exhalation ... the breath is going in and out ... in and out ... as you allow your mind to become empty like a bowl ... breathing easily ... and deeply ... ... ... when you are ready, slowing begin to open your eyes, return to the room, and sit quietly for a few moments."
Learn how to sit quietly in this way without "doing" anything other than following the breath. Repeat the word "clear" (or "calm" or "ohm") to yourself on each out-breath if you find this helpful. Breathing in this manner will help you to slow your heart rate, drop subversive thoughts, reduce muscle tension, and find inner stillness in the moment. This will allow you to remain clear and focused in the present moment throughout your day. The present is all that ever is; it's always the present; the past and future exist only in imagination. Appreciate the "now," because it will be gone in a second.
