{"id":40718,"date":"2016-06-11T08:30:43","date_gmt":"2016-06-11T12:30:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=40718"},"modified":"2021-05-19T04:20:45","modified_gmt":"2021-05-19T08:20:45","slug":"how-to-meditate-dan-harris","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/lifestyle\/how-to-meditate-dan-harris\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Ways to Carve Out Time to Meditate"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"7
Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Establishing a meditation routine can be difficult. You\u2019re busy! Who has time to breathe, let alone sit and breathe? But if you think the only way you\u2019ll learn how to meditate<\/a> is with a 25-hour day, think again.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> How to Meditate (Even If You\u2019re Really Impatient)<\/a><\/p>\n

Plenty of busy people are making time for meditation. Media guru Arianna Huffington<\/a> makes it a part of her morning routine. Rapper 50 Cent<\/a> uses meditation to help him remain positive when faced with negative personalities. And Jerry Seinfeld<\/a> won\u2019t let anything get between him and his meditation time \u2014 he allegedly takes time between TV shoots to get zen.<\/p>\n

Cultivating Calm, On Your Time<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cIt’s fighting a lifetime pattern of letting your thoughts lead you by the nose.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cI have a really chaotic schedule so I do it whenever I can,\u201d says Dan Harris, a correspondent for ABC News and the author of the New York Times bestseller 10% Happier<\/a>. \u201cI don\u2019t freak out if I can\u2019t fit it in but I do think it\u2019s important to do something every day.\u201d Harris has been meditating ever since he experienced a panic attack<\/a> on air nearly a decade ago.<\/p>\n

He credits meditation with helping him control knee-jerk reactions to frustrating situations. Thanks to improved patience, Harris says he\u2019s a better listener and is able to hold shorter, more fruitful meetings. Meditation, he says, is \u201cfighting a lifetime pattern of letting your thoughts lead you by the nose.”<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> The 8 Best Apps for Guided Meditation<\/a><\/p>\n

Dina Kaplan, founder of The Path<\/a>, a weekly meditation practice in New York City, says meditation allows her to have more \u201cmental agility\u201d during her day. She\u2019s much more calm when faced with stress, and feels as though she makes better decisions. And science confirms these benefits: your brain will actually change<\/a> if you stick with meditation, just as your body changes when you exercise regularly. You\u2019ll be rewarded with improved memory and other cognitive benefits.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t put the pressure on yourself that you have to do it forever,\u201d Harris says. It\u2019s okay if you fall off the wagon for a few weeks, so long as you muster the grit to return to your practice. The power of meditation, he says, is derived from practicing daily. Watch the video below for a short meditation exercise from Happify<\/a>, featuring Harris and Sharon Salzberg, a meditation teacher and author.<\/p>\n