I am a kinetic person - I've often described myself as the Energizer Bunny Rabbit - I just keep moving. Sitting tires me out. That is why I have alway said I could never meditate. The thought of just sitting and breathing was just not my thing.
Through my Pilates practice, I realized I had started to meditate, by keeping my mind focused on my breath and my movements. Letting go of random thoughts but remaining focused on the task at hand. Pilates is a physical or kinetic meditation for me.
I have entered my 5th decade and discovered my attention span, my memory and mental sharpness is not what it once was.
I took a second look at static meditation and realized that to focus my mind on the simple activity of breathing for a short time period (1-2 minutes - I did say I was a beginner! LOL) I was training my intentional brain - that part which is involved in cognition. Allowing my brain to wander here and there was allowing my brain to reside in auto pilot - not processing - not being aware. I realized that with static meditation, I could train my mind and reap the benefits of daily meditation training just as I had done with daily physical trainin for my body.
The benefits of meditation are numerous:
1. Decreasing stress
2. Improving your mental focus, attention span and reduce brain chatter
3. Connecting better with yourself and others
4. Understanding your pain whether it is physical or mental
5. Developing more patience, kindness and compassion
My chosen way of meditation is to sit on the MINIMAX with legs crossed. When I sit on the floor, my knees are higher than my hips. A sign that my hips are too tight. If that is true in your case, you may choose to sit in a chair or on a cushion.
Meditation can also occur lying down. If lying flat on the floor is painful to you, placing cushions under your knees can decrease pain. In the picture below, I have the MINIMAX flipped over and my legs resting on it.
The MINIMAX is my patented product: The All in One Yoga/Pilates/Meditation tool. Please reach out with any questions