Looking for an easy way to de-stress and improve your mental well-being? In this episode, Matt O’Neill speaks with yoga therapist and meditation expert Ann Swanson about how only one minute of meditation per day can make a big difference. 

Discover how small changes like spending time outside or meditating in line at the grocery store can boost happiness. Learn practical techniques for integrating brief yet powerful mindfulness practices into your busy life. 

Here are some power takeaways from today’s conversation: 

• Meditation as a key to happiness

• Meditation techniques, including walking meditation, and its benefits for mental health and blood sugar control

• Meditation and mindfulness for busy lives

• Incorporating meditation into daily routine through various activities

• Yoga and meditation for mental well-being

[04:45] Getting Back in Touch with Nature 

Studies have found that spending time in nature, such as walking in woods, increases natural killer cells and other parts of your immune system which help fight off tumors and foreign invaders. Walking meditations in nature can help you to truly be happier and return to a state of well-being that humans are naturally meant to experience.

[10:04] Optimizing Exposure to Natural Light

Ann recommends getting morning light near sunrise to set one's circadian rhythm and improve alertness. Spending time in midday sunlight is also important as it signals the peak of the day. The changing sky colors at sunset help reduce cortisol levels and raise melatonin production, preparing the body for sleep. 

[12:51] Getting Started with Meditation 

Ann recommends trying walking meditation, which allows flexibility and integration into daily life. Set specific intentions or focus points for each step. This can help change one's mood and has additional health benefits like lowering blood sugar spikes. For those new to meditation, walking practices may be better than rigidly following sitting techniques that don't suit one's needs or lifestyle.

[16:22] Walk Like You’re the Happiest Person on Earth

Ann shares a walking meditation technique taught by Thich Nhat Hanh. She explains that when walking, one can set the intention to "walk as if you were the happiest person on earth." Even if not feeling happy in the moment, imagining how the happiest person may walk can help alter posture, breathing, and perspective. This simple practice of pretending to be the happiest person can start to shift one's mood for the better in just a few minutes of walking meditation.

[19:11] Brief Mindfulness Practices for Busy Lives

Ann suggests one-minute meditations throughout the day to reset when feeling distracted or stressed, and finding times before, during or after existing routines like making coffee can help form a new habit. Additionally, being mindfully present during commutes or integrating meditation into transition periods after tasks promotes relaxation and allows busy individuals to still reap meditation's mental and emotional benefits.

Resources Mentioned: 

www.meditationfortherealworld.com 

Meditation for the Real Worldby Ann Swanson

The Power of Meditation with Muni Natarajan

Atomic Habits by James Clear

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About the Guest 

Ann Swanson is a best-selling author and yoga therapist. She has a Master's of Science in yoga therapy and teaches meditation techniques for integrating mindfulness into everyday life.