focus on what you want in the long term. The challenges of everyday life are not going to disappear, but you will develop the ability to handle them better. e Meditation gives you the ability to respond to the most tragic circumstances of life with a rational and calm outlook. If you are still feeling skeptical about meditation, there is plenty of scientific evidence highlighting the benefits of the practice. The journal PNAS published a study stating it takes approximately seven days to start experiencing results from meditation. The study involved getting 40 undergraduate students to participate in 20 minutes of meditation training for five days. During this time, they were given several psychological tests, and results found that they were less anxious, less stressed, and less tired than the control group. Think about how your productivity would improve if you had more control of your thoughts and you had more energy? Even when you are not motivated to do what needs to be done, the skills you learn through meditation will push you through. And this is what self-discipline is all about. MEDITATION TECHNIQUES Before you begin, read these instructions over a few times so you are familiar with them and won’t need to keep breaking your concentration to go back to the book and find out what you need to do next. THE JUST SITTING TECHNIQUE This seated meditation technique is referred to as “Zazen.” Shaolin monks practice it often, and it involves you sitting comfortably. You can sit upright on a chair, sit with your legs crossed on the floor, or adopt the lotus position if you wish. If you don’t want to fall asleep during the process, it’s not advised that you do this in bed. Sleep is a good thing; however, in order to reap the full benefits of meditation, you need to stay awake. Once you have found a comfortable position, keep your back straight, but make sure it isn’t rigid. Don’t clamp your mouth shut, but keep it closed, keep your eyes open but don’t stare, your gaze should remain soft and focused on the floor around two feet in front of you. Once you are in the correct physical position, the next step is to focus on the mind. There are two different techniques—you can try them both and see which one suits you the best. Start by paying attention to your breathing. This silences