Lesson 31

Meditationization is a word I made up, but it is nothing new. The concept of meditationization is actually a fantastic way to help understand what yoga is really about. It makes it much easier to visualize and integrate.

As discussed in previous lessons, people often misunderstand meditation. It is not about emptying the mind. That clear mind is a benefit of meditation. As defined by the Father of Yoga himself, Patanjali, meditation is sustained one-pointed focus. It is unbroken focus.

A formal sitting meditation practice is great, but it is not as effective or easy as meditationization. This is because we want to do our best to live meditation, not have it be a small 15-minute segment of our day, then for the rest of the day our mind is all over the place like a crazy person. To paint a picture of this, imagine you are going to the gym daily, but you also eat McDonald’s for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Have you seen that movie (Super Size Me)? It doesn’t end well. The fast food cancels out the exercise you are doing.

This same dynamic happens too often with meditation. A person spends 15 or 30 minutes in quiet meditation, which is great, but then their mind is moving 100 mph in 100 different directions for the rest of the day. They are “eating McDonald’s with their mind”, and canceling out the positive effects of their meditation. Now, it is almost as if they didn’t meditate at all.

Again, it is far more effective and easy to practice meditationization. Better still, you don’t need to add any time into your already-busy schedule. You simply turn things you are already going to do anyways into a meditation! That is what meditationization is all about! This is done by being fully present and fully focused on the task at hand, as opposed to thinking about something else. You are relaxed, taking low and slow deep breaths — 100% here and now. As the famous Buddhist saying goes, when you are washing the dishes, wash the dishes.

There are more benefits to meditationization than you may be able to fathom. It is more practical than many traditional meditation techniques. Best of all, it makes integrating meditation into daily living as easy as possible.

Start small, and integrate slowly. Don’t rush this process, and never beat yourself up. Remember, it takes time to “build the meditation muscle of focus”. This can be like going to the gym again after a long break. Don’t try to do a two-hour workout on the first day back! Start with a couple minutes. This way it is sustainable, and you can enjoy the ride.

What are some things you can easily turn into a meditation? Some ideas include washing your hands, brushing your teeth, and opening doors. This is not an all-inclusive list, but rather it is something to get you going. When you wash your hands or brush your teeth, be fully present in your body — completely immersed in the task, thinking of nothing else. You are slowing down, being as mindful as possible. Every time you open a door or walk into a new room, you can take a deep breath. No one will know you are doing it, but they will notice your relaxed and calm energy.

Once you get the hang of meditationization for shorter tasks, you can start to practice with longer things like showering, shaving, or washing the dishes (if you still do that). You can eventually turn even longer things like driving or your entire workflow into a meditation. All you have to do is slow done and live in the present moment — completely focused on the task at hand.