My Japanese Students shared 4 Meditation Tips for Busy Bees

So I talk to a lot of Japanese people every day because I work as their online tutor and even though each of them has different personalities just like everyone else, I found two things they have in common. One is they are ALWAYS busy. And two, they meditate.

We all know that Japan introduced Zen to the world. The meditative training of awareness and equanimity. For no reason, when I said the first couple of sentences in this paragraph, it just makes me feel calm in an instant. 😇

The first five minutes of my class with them is all about building rapport and whenever I ask them about the daily routine, students from the same group of people enumerate almost the same activities. Let me share how they manage their everyday life.

Many of my Japanese kid-learners would say they go to their regular school, practice sport, go back home to eat dinner, and some go to Cram school until about 9 in the evening, then go back home to study English or do homework until around 11, then finally hit the sack.

In another group, Japanese university students would either say they go to their part-time job then go to university or vice versa, then go out with friends or stay at their dorm to do homework or study English.

The group which composed of businessmen and company workers would always do say they go to work from 9 to 7 or 8 in the evening, many of them work overtime, then go back home, study English, and sleep. Before there was Covid-19 some of them would go to Izakaya, drink with friends, go back home, and take a warm bath.

Japanese mothers almost have a similar daily grind. They wake up early, prepare gorgeous obento for their husbands and kids, do house chores, run errands, some work part-time jobs, some regularly go to the gym to exercise or do Yoga, while some go to the library to study or just enjoy the peace and quiet, then go back home and prepare and cook healthy dinner, study English, take a warm bath, and don’t go to bed until everything is organized. I really admire Japanese mothers. They are my inspiration to do better each day.

The last group is the elderly people. They are the sweetest and the most relaxed among the group. They would tell me that they usually start their day by reading a newspaper, drink their green tea, some days they plan for their next travel, some days they go to different clubs or volunteer works, then they do gardening or whatever hobbies they got, they study English diligently, and they take a warm bath before hitting the sack.

Basically speaking, the Japanese are trained to make the most out of their day by performing their duties, and as you have noticed, I did not say they meditate. Because they do not, every day. But when they do, they do it with passion. Because for them, meditating brings to them inner peace into their daily life.

Now here is the main point of writing this article.

According to my Japanese students, to be able to meditate amidst being busy, consider the tips below.

1. Allow ourselves to meditate.

Because we deserve it! A few minutes of meditating will surely not hurt our productivity. As a matter of fact, meditation makes us more tranquil and be vigorous. Let us not make any more excuses about having to prioritize family and work obligations and eventually fail to seek time to practice meditation. This really hits me hard because every single time I spend a “me” time, there is always guilt in me.

2. Include meditation on the top of our To-do List.

As mentioned, meditation only takes a few minutes but keep in mind that meditation is not an obligation. It is something that you set your heart on. If you skip a day or two, do not fret. It happens! Just like everything else on our to-do list, right?

3. Meditate whenever you got a chance!

Well, yeah, having a new, soft cushion and a room filled with incense sticks or scented candles sounds enchanting and inviting to meditate. Moreover, creating a designated place to meditate is good for beginners in meditation. But believe it or not, my Japanese students meditate whenever and wherever they feel their mind and soul need to. On the train or subway, on the park bench, or while they are just waiting for someone. It is actually better to do than browsing your feed on social media.

4. Integrate meditation into your daily activity.

This has surprised me but I did try it too and it absolutely works. Meditation is not just about being still with eyes closed. My 81-year-old Japanese student told me that she meditates while playing the piano. This means, there are other forms of meditation too. While painting, dancing, or even doing your house chores. They say that it works if we allow ourselves to be mindful of what we do.

Meditation is not an easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy routine. But it is also not a difficult thing to do. Five to ten minutes of meditating may help us start our day right and get through it.

I have just started my journey and I will write again to share with you my journey.

Thanks for reading my story. 🥰 I will read yours too. 🤗