MIND BLOWING Focus: The Meditation Hack Bill Gates Swears By

(Nods) Exactly. Once you’re seated comfortably, take five deep breaths. Slowly in, slowly out. This is like the warm-up for your brain.

Next, we’re going to do a quick body scan. Our bodies are often holding tension we don’t even realize. Think of your body like a fancy car. You wouldn’t drive it without checking the tires, would you?

(Sighs dramatically) That’s why you need this! Close your eyes, if you feel comfortable. Now, slowly, gently, bring your awareness to the very top of your head. Is it relaxed? Any tension there? Then move down, slowly, like a mental spotlight, to your forehead, your eyes, your jaw. Are you clenching your teeth? Relax them.

(Chuckles) A common storage unit! Continue scanning down: your neck, shoulders, arms, hands. Are your shoulders hunched up to your ears? Let them drop. Your chest, stomach, back. Your hips, legs, feet. Notice any areas of discomfort or tension.

Don’t panic! Remember, you’re just observing. Don’t judge it, don’t try to fix it, just acknowledge it. “Ah, there’s that ache in my back. Hello, back ache, how are you today?” And then, gently, bring your awareness back to the rest of your body. The goal here is just to be present with your physical sensations, not to solve all your bodily mysteries. Start with a quick 10-second scan, then try a more thorough 30-second one.

Once you’ve done your body scan, it’s time for the classic: focusing on your breath. This is like your anchor, your home base.

Ah, but are you aware of your breathing? Or is it just happening on autopilot, like your brain always does? This time, you’re going to really feel it. Feel the air coming in through your nostrils, filling your lungs, and then slowly leaving your body. You can even count your breaths. Inhale (count 1), exhale (count 2), all the way up to 10, then start again from 1.

(Shrugs good-naturedly) That, my boy, is perfectly normal! Your brain will wander. It’ll try to sneak in a thought about what you’re having for dinner, or that awkward moment from yesterday. And when it does, don’t get frustrated! Just gently, without judgment, bring your attention back to your breath and the counting. It’s like a little puppy that keeps running off – you just gently guide it back to its leash.

(Leans in, lowers his voice) Now, a little secret from your old Grandpa. This counting part? It’s not everyone’s cup of tea. Some people, like myself, find it a bit… stressful. Trying to be perfectly mindful while simultaneously remembering if you’re on 7 or 8 can be counterproductive! But we’ll get to my method in a moment. For now, try this “proper” way. Keep going until your 10-minute timer dings.

And finally, after your 10 minutes are up, don’t immediately jump back into your phone or your to-do list. Just… be. Let your mind wander freely.

It does, doesn’t it? But think of it like this: you’ve just put your brain through a gentle workout. Now you’re giving it a chance to stretch and cool down. Notice if your mind feels a little clearer, a little less cluttered than it did 10 minutes ago. If those worries about the past or anxieties about the future aren’t crowding your thoughts as much, then congratulations, your meditation was a success!

This is where you realize that by consciously focusing on the present moment, even for a short while, you’ve tamed that “autopilot” function of your brain that usually fills your head with noise.

Now, Ken, I know what you’re thinking. “Grandpa, 10 minutes? Sitting still? In the morning? That’s like asking me to climb Mount Everest before breakfast!”

(Pats Ken’s knee) Precisely! And that’s why your brilliant old Grandpa, who also appreciates a good lie-in, has developed the ultimate “Lazy Ken” Meditation. It’s so simple, even a particularly lazy sloth could do it.

My secret weapon for consistent meditation is to hijack a time you’re already doing something else: just before you fall asleep.

(Winks) Ah, but this is different! The goal here isn’t a deep, focused meditation for brain training, but a gentle, stress-reducing wind-down. And since your phone is likely already on “Do Not Disturb” at that hour, you’ve already cleared one major hurdle!

Remember that body scan? The one where you painstakingly checked every muscle? Well, for the Lazy Ken method, we’re simplifying it to one glorious, tension-releasing move.

(Chuckles) Not at all! Just lie comfortably in bed. Now, I want you to tense your shoulders. Really, really tense them. Squeeze them up to your ears as hard as you can for a second.

Perfect! Now, with a sigh of relief, just let them completely go. Let your shoulders drop, heavy, into the mattress. Feel the tension drain away.

It is! I know my shoulders tend to be my tension-holding zones, so I just focus on that one area. It’s like a quick reset button for your entire body. Do it once, feel the release, and you’re already more relaxed than you were before.

This is the pièce de résistance, Ken. The grand finale of the Lazy Ken method. Forget counting breaths. Forget trying to empty your mind. This is about… Brain Movie Night.

Precisely! Remember how I said your brain is like a non-stop thought factory? Well, instead of trying to shut it down, you’re going to sit back and enjoy the show! You’re the audience, and your thoughts and feelings are the actors on the screen of your mind.

(Nods enthusiastically) Exactly! “Oh, look, a rerun of the Sarah incident! How dramatic! What will Ken’s brain come up with next?” You don’t judge it, you don’t get involved, you don’t try to change the plot. You just observe. Like a curious movie critic.

The funny thing is, Ken, when you stop trying to control your thoughts, and just observe them with detached curiosity, they often… get bored. And they start to fade away. It’s like when you try to catch a butterfly – if you chase it, it flies away. But if you sit still, sometimes it lands on you.

You got it! And the most incredible part? When you stop fighting your thoughts, you’ll find yourself closer to that “empty” mind state than you ever would by forcing it. Plus, it often leads to a quicker, more peaceful sleep. No more tossing and turning, worrying about what absurd thing your brain will conjure up next!

(Claps his hands) Perfect analogy! And that, my boy, is the secret to my deeply profound, yet incredibly lazy, meditation practice. It’s all about being present, but in a way that feels natural, not forced.

Well, there he goes. Young Ken, off to observe his brain’s internal cinema. And that, my friends, is truly the essence of it all. All this talk about meditation methods, whether they’re “proper” or “lazy,” boils down to one simple truth: mindfulness is about being present in the moment.

Meditation is just a training ground, a sort of mental gym, to help you flex that mindfulness muscle. The real goal is to bring that calm, focused awareness into your everyday life.

Think about it: when you’re walking to work or school, instead of scrolling on your phone or fretting about your to-do list, just look at the sky. Is it blue? Are there clouds? What do they look like? Feel the sun on your face, the wind in your hair. For that moment, just be completely, utterly present with the sky. No thoughts about your phone, no worries about your grades. Just the beautiful, endless sky. That, my friends, is also a form of meditation.

Our brains, as clever as they are, are also constantly seeking stimulation, constantly pulling us away from the simple beauty of the present. They’re like overly enthusiastic puppies, always dragging us toward the next shiny object. And sometimes, we need to gently remind them to slow down, to just sniff the roses, or in this case, gaze at the clouds.

We all have regrets from the past, anxieties about the future. And it’s important to address those things when the time is right. But you can’t live constantly dwelling in the past or fretting about the future. It’s exhausting! And no matter how dark your past, or how uncertain your future, the sky right now… it’s still beautiful. And that, my friends, is a comforting thought, isn’t it? The present moment is always there, waiting for you. It’s the one place where your past can’t hurt you, and your future can’t worry you.

So, next time you feel your brain running a marathon while your body’s on the couch, remember: you don’t need to be a Zen master in a cave. You just need to take a moment. Whether it’s a formal 10-minute sit, my “Lazy Ken” brain movie night, or simply gazing at the sky, give your marvelous, overthinking brain a little break. You both deserve it. What’s your go-to way to find a moment of peace? Until next time, stay mindful, my friends!