A common misconception about meditation is that it must be done one specific way. However, not all meditation involves sitting cross-legged and clearing your mind. J. Sebastian Arrubla, a LAB employee in charge of Community Relations, sets out to show LAB members how they can participate in a form of active meditation focused on mindfulness and breathing.
Mindful breathing is about shifting from being caught up in our thinking to being aware of our thinking. The simplest way to do mindful breathing is to focus your attention on your inhaling and exhaling. Sitting in a comfortable position with your eyes closed may make it easier for you to maintain your focus. The act of mindful breathing allows you to become aware of the mind’s tendency to jump from one thought to another. By concentrating on and changing your inhalation and exhalation, you are sending signals to your brain that in turn slow down your heart rate, promote feelings of calm, and control the release of stress hormones. Meditation has been proven to help entrepreneurs. In terms of productivity, mindfulness training can improve your ability to orient attention, and increase resilience to stressful situations.
Through his program “Stop, Breathe, Continue,” Sebastian encourages members to take 15 minutes out of their day to focus on their breathing. On Monday May 21st, thirteen members met in the Living Room to participate in the second session of the program. During this session, Sebastian presented three different breathing techniques meant to introduce a sense of control in each individual’s day:
Inhale through both nostrils and sharply exhale through your mouth. Don’t be afraid to make noise when you’re breathing.
Breathe in slowly through your nose and allow your chest to rise as it fills with air. Hold the air briefly and then exhale slowly allowing your chest do fall back down.
Breathe in deeply counting in sets of 7-3-7-3. 7 seconds as you inhale, 3 seconds holding it, 7 seconds as you exhale, 3 seconds holding.
In an attempt to inspire a larger audience to incorporate mindfulness into their lives, Sebastian is hosting a community event for “Stop, Breathe, Continue.” It will be held on June 18 from 6:30 to 7:30.