This is a book about meditation, and how to build a meditative practice into your daily routine without too much complication.
Prior to reading this book, I had dabbled with meditation in various forms, as I truly believe it is extremely beneficial to health and state of mind. I enrolled in a Transcendental Meditation introductory course, although I did not follow through with the full course after more research on this brand, as I didn’t feel it sat right with the values of what meditation should be.
When the Headspace app was released, I completed the introductory course until payment was needed to continue more lessons. I also used the Brain.fm app for more guided meditations to try and learn the benefits of this age-old ancestral practice.
But through all of these attempts, nothing stuck and nothing took me to the fabled peace of mind meditation is supposed to help you reach. So when I heard Emily on the Genius Life 46, she inspired me to reach for her book and give it a go.
Stress Less, Accomplish More is definitely easy to read with simplistic explanations of what can be achieved with meditation. There are no hard to achieve expectations such as “clearing your mind and emptying your thoughts”. The “emptying your mind” aspect of meditation was the one major thing I had been unable to overcome through other previously attempted practices. To this date I do not know how people can do this, and can only assume they have reached such a state of peaceful consciousness that they are able to practice this high level mind control.
For the average person, this state of consciousness is something which can only be achieved through years of practice. So when Emily explained her methodology is not about emptying the mind, that we need to expect the mind to be active, I immediately bought her book and dove straight in.
Emily’s methodology is simple to learn and easy to incorporate into any busy day, as it takes just 15 minutes each time. Furthermore it can be done anywhere, without having to sit in uncomfortable positions or the need for silence. Actually her method could be easily explained here, but that would not do justice to the book, and would be unfair to Emily. You can find out more about Emily here, as well as purchase the book to learn more.
What Did I Learn From Practicing This Method?
In order to gain the benefits of meditation, the methodology needed to be practiced and learned. And there would be no point having an interest in the benefits, without making the effort to put in the required 15 minutes per day.
So whilst reading the book and reaching the chapter explaining the method, I began practicing religiously for 15 minutes a day, every day. I played with different times; first thing in the morning before starting my day, or taking a morning break from work around 10.30. For 2 months I followed Emily’s instructions and felt I was making progress.
But ultimately the practice fell away, as I did not feel it was a necessary practice to build into my life. I had a certain amount of stress control already, and bizarrely felt these 15 minutes were intruding into my already full day.
Is Meditation for Everyone?
I strongly believe that a form of meditation is necessary in everybody’s life. But that can take many forms. For me, meditation is being alone with yourself in your own thoughts and mind. Otherwise known as a flow state. Sometimes when I write I feel in that state. But mostly that feeling of being alone with oneself is when i’m in the gym lifting weights or practicing gymnastics, where it is essential to fully focus and connect your body and mind. Reaching a personal best, or attempting a move never done before, requires focus and attention. You need to be fully focused and connected or injuries can easily happen.
This is where I believe I reach some kind of meditative state, being in full flow and control of your body, lifting something heavy or doing a complicated movement.
Furthermore, I have recently started taking my meditation to the beach. Where I lay on the sand, connect to the earth, plug in my ears, and listen to a 15 minute guided meditation on Brain.fm whilst the waves splash and the sun shines. This works for me and is a methodology I am satisfied with.
Just because Emily’s methodology is not for me, it does not mean it won’t be for everybody. Her explanation is clear, and she is such a wonderful soul with only good intentions to help others. For anybody interested to explore meditation further, this is a fantastic resource to begin with.