By Seamus Anthony
I am a big fan of spot meditations, which are quick meditations done “on the spot” that can take anywhere from an instant to a couple of minutes. Here’s a longer one that I sometimes do in the morning when I get up.
First thing I do is put the kettle on, then while I wait for it to boil I do a quick, relaxing meditation.
I have an old stainless steel kettle that we heat up on the gas stove-top which takes a minimum of five minutes depending on how full it is. You could do an electric kettle meditation but that would be a true ‘spot meditation’ as they boil pretty quickly.
My kettle meditation technique isn’t complicated – just sitting up straight, focussing on the breath and enjoying the morning peace and quiet. Obviously I live somewhere that is peaceful and quiet in the mornings, I guess if you don’t then you’ll have to meditate on the noise – which can be ok also (but more challenging in my opinion).
Our kettle sings this lovely, warm two-note harmony when it boils which is great when I am doing the kettle meditation and nobody is home, but truth is I usually flick the whistle up so that it doesn’t sound, in order to get a precious hour’s writing in before the little ‘un wakes up.
I find this meditation useful on mornings where I want to get straight into writing first thing while my mind is fresh, but have that nagging voice telling me that it is also a perfect time to meditate. This way I get just a nice taste of that lovely, lush, pleasant feeling that washes over me when I meditate, and then I get to work with a nice hot cuppa tea at hand.
Ah, it’s a wonderful life!
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I’ve never heard of a spot meditation before, but I think it’s a lovely idea. I already have a list of 3 or 4 times during the day when I could do a short meditation. Thanks for the idea, Seamus.
I think it’s great to tout the idea of quick times of reflection/relaxation…meditation.
I like the idea of the kettle. I cook my wife and I breakfast in the mornings and could use these ‘times of waiting’ for brief ‘escapes’ to focus on breathing and take a moment to relax.
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Hi Maria and Eric – yes it is a growing interest that I have – meditating while the day is progressing. I think it is a useful skill because there is a lot to do so we can’t always find the time for meditation. Having said that it pays to make some time for deeper meditations.