“All of humanity’s problems, stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” – Blaise Pascal
Could you spend 30 minutes in a room, simply sitting and thinking? In this age of technology and distraction, even the most enlightened of us find it difficult to resist stimulation of some kind—social media, texting our friends, Netflix, pornography…But if you struggle violently to just sit down and be still of mind and body, I think that’s a problem.
Practicing meditation has saved my life when it comes to my desire for artificial distraction. Sitting and focusing on the present moment (the breath, the sounds, the feeling of my body sitting down in the chair), you realize how beautiful this moment is. And this moment. And this.
My favorite meditation apps (I know, sounds counterintuitive) are Headspace and Waking Up. But besides organized, guided meditation, just try to sit for 30 minutes with your phone on airplane mode. Set the timer, and for that half an hour, pay attention to your thoughts and the world around you. Notice the things in your field of vision in focus and out of focus. Focus on your breathing, from the beginning of the inhalation, to the end of the exhalation.
Enjoy the stillness. Enjoy having nothing to do in that time.