Meditation

You don’t have to book a trip to the Maldives in order to feel relaxed, rejuvenated and take a step back from daily life.

Just take a few moments, sit down, close your eyes and visualize one of the following 7 scenes. Make sure to imagine all sights, feelings, scents, and sounds you would experience if you were in that situation.

1. A beautiful morning sunrise
2. A full moon at night
3. A sleeping cat
4. A moss covered forest clearing
5. A sunny white sand beach
6. A starry summer sky
7. A waterfall in the jungle

Enjoy!

The meditation method Space-Time-Bridging was created by neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Huberman and helps you get present (as in calm and alert), optimize your focus to get the right things done, and access an inspired, hyper-creative state of mind.

Complete each step while connecting it to one breath, a breath cycle, or several breath cycles – whichever you prefer. Repeat the three steps as long as you want, at least for 3 minutes for maximum effects.

1. Sense Within

Breathe (in): “Internalize” your attention, gently placing it on a point inside your body or head, e.g. your third eye.

2. Focus

Breathe (out): Open your eyes and focus your gaze on a single point close by on the surface of your body, e.g. your hand.

3. Defocus

Breathe (in): See the whole picture at once; relax your eyes and take in everything in your field of vision.

Repeat.

This video shows the process in more detail, explained by Andrew Huberman himself.

Learn more from neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Huberman here.

According to Zazen (sitting) meditation, the higher you focus your mind in your body, the more alert you will be (but also the more active your thoughts and feelings will be). The deeper you move your focus point, the more grounded but also the more tired you will feel.

• By default, let your mind rest in the palm of your left hand.
• If you feel depressed or tired, concentrate your mind on the crown of your head or between your eyebrows.
• If you feel distracted, place your focus gently on the tip of your nose, your philtrum (the area between your upper lip and your nose) or in your lower belly.
• If you feel restless and confused, put the spirit on your feet.

The general rule applies: If you notice you feel nervous and need some extra support to calm your mind, count your inhalation and exhalation as described in meditation technique 1 here.

Sit comfortably.

Get ready to notice when you start thinking.

1. Breath

Don’t breathe forcefully or change your breathing in any way. Simply observe it; notice the air flowing in and out of your nose and touching your upper lip. Feel your chest and belly rising and falling. If you like, count your breath cycles until you reach 10, then start again. If your attention slips, start over at 1.

2. Mantra

Pick a simple mantra that (e.g. “One” or “Omm”). Your mantra is a word that you should not have too many associations with, as this would engage your mind too much and be counterproductive. Visualize/Imagine the mantra gently floating towards and over you again and again, like a wave in the ocean or a leaf in the wind.

3. Mindfulness

Don’t do or focus on anything. Simply observe whatever comes to your attention in that moment – a smell, a certain feeling, a thought, an itch, a sound. Stay very mindful. If you notice your attention slipping, bring it back to an anchor (such as a sound or your breath) for just a moment, before you again let go of that focus.