Juggling
A practice for clowns, for kids, a waste of time?
Something you can't do?

Meditation
A practice for Monks, for the patient, for the focused?
Another thing you can't do?

What if these thoughts weren't true?
What if these were things that could help "grow" your brain, connect with your body and breath?
What if they could make you feel a little younger, more patient and focused?
What if they were another couple things you can do?

On the Weekend I had the great privilege of attending a Personal / Professional Development course.One the activities we practised was juggling.

The hand and eye co-ordination was obvious, we were told about the science of how juggling helps "grow the brain", but what struck me is how juggling can help meditation.

One of the challenges we had was to juggle for a certain amount of throws.
It didn't have to be throws in a row which meant there was less room for hesitation each time I dropped a ball. It encouraged me to pick the balls up again and keep juggling. The time I could have wasted telling myself how bad a juggler I was instead used to practice juggling.

Meditating on the breath is a lot like this - it's inevitable I will "drop the ball" and loose track of my breath - when I do so I can spend time reprimanding myself or I can "pick up the balls again, re connect with my breath and continue to grow.

Like juggling I can be breathing and noticing how busy my mind is. I can even be thinking I'm no good at this, but as the balls go from hand to hand, as I stay aware of my breath I get better and every now and then I fall into flow, there's juggling, there's breathing, there's a whole lot more but it's not interrupting the flow.

Try this

4 Minutes (2 x 2 minutes)

Juggle with two balls in the right hand - see how many total throws you can get in 2 minutes. Then start the clock again and do the same thing in the left hand. If you drop the ball don't waste time being mad with yourself or considering how bad you are - just pick up and keep going (growing). Write your scores down if you like so you can try to better them next time.

5 Minutes

Sit with a straight spine and focus on your breath. No need to count the breaths just notice each one. If you notice you've stopped breathing "dropped the ball" again don't hesitate - just tune back in with the breath and keep going (growing)

If you do this everyday you will build a new brain and a couple more "Can Do's" if you don't you won't.