I have become a devotee if Dina Proctor, author of best seller, “Madly Chasing Peace.”  I stumbled upon her “3 x 3 meditation guide” several months ago and added it to my daily “to dos” with great results.

The program is so brilliantly simple, I don’t know why I didn’t think of it myself.  You simply pause the insanity, sit quietly and meditate for three minutes, three times a day. She has suggestions on how to do it, but I prefer to use the mantra, “As I sit quietly in the presence of God, He shines peace into my troubled soul.”

I can almost feel the warmth of a sunbeam calming the choppy waters of my chaotic mind within 30 seconds, and I ALWAYS go over the three minute limit.  Remembering to do the noon and evening three minute “time out” is a little more difficult since I’m so easily distracted.    I usually remember to do it when something irritates or frustrates me.  Instantly I realize the dose of a three minute meditation will bring in a lightness and a renewed energy which can border on euphoria if I really blot out the brain clutter.   I consider it a sort of spring cleaning for the mind.

Here are Dina’s Tips for Spring Cleaning Your Thoughts:

1. Use Your Emotions. Each thought creates an emotion, and emotions always have a sensation in the body – we can either feel expanded (hopeful, optimistic, joyful, peaceful, relieved, etc.) or contracted (angry, doubtful, worried, fearful, pessimistic, etc.). You can use your emotions as a gauge to determine if the thoughts you think throughout the day create a feeling of expansion or contraction in your body. Throughout the day, notice how your thoughts cause either an expanded or contracted sensation in your body. This can help you determine which thoughts are moving you in the right direction (expansion or positive emotions) and which are those you can make a choice to let go of or change (contraction or negative emotions).

2. Take It 7 Days at a Time. As with any new habit, I encourage my coaching clients to take it seven days at a time. For most people and for most new habits, seven days is a realistic, do-able goal. For this Spring Cleaning exercise, commit to connecting thoughts with emotions and becoming willing to let go of the negative thoughts that are keeping you stuck. If it begins to feel overwhelming, remind yourself that you are only doing this for seven days. You can even take it one hour or half a day at a time. A mantra I use when I find myself lost in a powerful negative thought is, “I can think this thought a week from tomorrow but for now I’m releasing it and focusing on a thought that feels better.”

3. Use Your 3×3 Meditation Time for Positively Focused Visualization. As you probably already know, 3×3 Meditation means three minutes, three times a day. Set reminders in your calendar or cell phone and set a timer for these meditation breaks. Lose yourself in the images and feelings of what you want to create in your life, anything from a healthy body to financial security to achieving a business goal and everything in-between. Our imaginations and our ability to focus are or greatest assets in creating a life we love living.

Taking a new habit 7 days at a time, one 3×3 Meditation at a time, is the biggest key to success I’ve found. Small steps enable us to play full out and ease any feelings of being overwhelm. You can have anything you want for your life by harnessing the power we all have inside.