Name: Ultimate Student LifeHack - Mindfulness & Meditation!?
Uploaded: 2020-10-18T19:15:12.000Z
Duration: 7 min 38 s
Description: Thousands of YouTube videos with English-Chinese subtitles! Now you can learn to understand native speakers, expand your vocabulary, and improve your pronunciation...

Meditation and mindfulness have gained a great deal of popularity over the past few years, and for good reason.

My meditation practice has transformed several aspects of my own life.

In this video, we'll first go over why every student should meditate,

and then go into how you can implement meditation and mindfulness in your own busy schedule.

I'm joined here today by Dr. David Hindin, from the David Hindin, M.D Youtube channel.

to share with you some of the best ways that mindfulness has helped us tap into more productivity.

We'll show you how you can implement these habits into your routine as well.

At the end of the video, be sure to check out the description to see a special video

Dr. Hindin made about his favorite productivity apps including one for meditation.

It's no secret that meditation has become increasingly mainstream,

and credited as a key part of achieving success.

And the benefits aren't limited to those who are uber spiritual yogi monks.

From billionaires like Bill Gates to Sir Richard Branson,

many of the world's most successful individuals cite daily meditation or mindfulness practices

So, for starters, let's talk about what meditation actually is.

The English word meditation is derived from the Latin "meditatio", from a verb "meditari",

meaning “to think, contemplate, devise, or ponder.”

Over the years, the term has taken different meanings and there are multiple types of meditation.

we will refer to meditation the way it is used in mainstream culture today,

Mindfulness is a type of meditation focused on being in the present,

such as focusing on your breath, or focusing completely on an experience

and being fully present to the delicious scent, warmth, crunchy texture, and taste.

As a vegan, I must admit that I do miss bacon.

Now, one generally sits or lays down in a comfortable position

and spends several minutes focusing on one object or experience.

This can be the breath or body sensations, or the food that you're eating.

non-judgmentally catch ourselves and redirect our focus.

Each of these moments of refocusing is like performing a rep for your mind muscle.

we do sets and reps of bench press to make our pecs, anterior delts, and triceps stronger.

In mindfulness practice, we do reps of refocusing to train our "Mind Muscle".

Which brings us to the benefits of meditation practice.

meditation is about becoming less of a passenger to your own mind.

I have found that meditation helps to decrease my emotional reactivity,

allowing me to expand the space between an event happening and me responding to it.

Over the years, it has empowered me to observe my own physical sensations and emotions

which ultimately gives me much more control over my own actions.

My pain tolerance has increased as has my patience and ability to deal with difficult emotions.

I have noticed subtle but powerful changes over weeks, months, and even years.

Once you start meditating on a regular basis, one of the first things you'll start to notice is a clearer mind.

The more and more we flex our “meditation muscle,”

the more it spills over in to the rest of the day when we're not meditating.

Our thoughts are more organized, things feel less hectic, and it's easier to find mental clarity.

It's no surprise, then, that these benefits spill over into the world of studying, too.

Incorporating a daily mindfulness practice allows us to focus more effectively while studying.

I mean, let's be real -  distractions are some of the biggest offenders to your productivity.

The urges to check your Instagram, or refresh your inbox, or check for new texts,

And that new mental clarity also means that we do a better job of retaining what we are studying.

Remember, effective studying isn't just about the time spent,

And mindfulness practice helps on both fronts.

Ok, so now you're convinced that a regular meditation practice

may be the silver bullet that your study routine was missing.

But.. you're way to busy to meditate every day, right?

Regardless of how busy you think you are,

I guarantee that you can fit mindfulness practice into your daily routine.

First, it's essential to understand that you can practice mindfulness in short periods.

I have frequently done 5-minute or even 2-minute sessions when I am crunched for time.

You can practice while you're eating a meal,

While I find that sitting with my eyes closed and focusing on my breath is most worthwhile for me,

I still find value in other forms of mindfulness practice.

Figure out what works best for you, and ask yourself how you can realistically fit it into your daily routine.

I personally tack on 10 minutes of meditation after my stretching routine each and every morning.

Dr. Hindin also takes a few minutes before starting his day to sit quietly and meditate.

Incorporating meditation practice into your morning routine is a great way to make it a habit that sticks.

For more on getting yourself to stick to good habits or to break bad habits,

check out my video on how to change your habits scientifically.

Even though you might like to sit in a quiet room and focus on your breath when you meditate,

remember that you can practice mindfulness throughout your day.

Got a few minutes during your commute to school?

Sitting in your seat waiting for class to start?

Take a few moments to pay attention to how your feet feel on the ground,

to the sensation of your seat, and to the feeling of your hands resting on your paper.

Next, don't judge yourself for meditating “incorrectly”.

Don't beat yourself up for being “bad” at meditating either.