by Kathy Freston

Kathy Freston will be signing copies of her new book, Quantum Wellness: A Practical and Spiritual Guide to Health and Happiness, on June 18 at Barnes & Noble at the Grove in Los Angeles.

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For entrepreneurial women, travel is as much a part of life as brainstorming sessions and budget meetings. Whether it’s for a business trip to launch a concept or a vacation to take respite from the hectic nature of the business world, ladies who launch will inevitably travel (and just as inevitably be faced with the stresses that accompany trying to get from point A to point B). One of the greatest accomplishments of any traveler is staying collected when circumstances outside of your control—such as airline delays, overcrowded cabins, and overworked airport staff—start to creep up and challenge your calm demeanor. This is where meditation comes in. If you are able to center yourself in the midst of travel-related chaos, your trip will be exponentially more pleasant.

When you feel yourself start to lose your cool, do three simple things that will immediately improve your energy and attitude: 1) close your eyes, 2) focus on your breath, and 3) find your center. From this center your perspective and problem-solving ability will turn toward a positive, calming direction. Your blood pressure will lower, your head will stop throbbing, and you will feel more at peace. If nothing else, it will provide an excellent opportunity to strengthen your meditation practice, which should be an essential tool for any woman trying to start a business.

Below is an excerpt from my new book, Quantum Wellness: A Practical and Spiritual Guide to Health and Happiness, about the importance of meditation, and a few words of advice to start you on your path …

Meditation is a word that scares a lot of people. They don’t think they’re the “kind of person” who could possibly sit for long stretches with an empty mind. I’m not asking you to do that. Meditation, as I use the word, is simply a state of quiet contemplation. It involves turning your focus inward for at least a few moments at a time so you can access a deeper reality.

Practicing a daily ritual of meditation almost always leads to positive changes in your life in that you are more relaxed and “in tune” throughout the day and can better handle stress and adversity. You are more present to life and can respond in a more balanced and thoughtful way to the situations that come up.

Some people meditate as a means to commune with Spirit, while others use meditation as a technique to cultivate mental discipline. Whatever the goal, the physiological effects of meditation are many: change in metabolism due to the lowering of biochemical by-products of stress, lowered heart rate and blood pressure, and greater ease of respiration. When you meditate, there is an increase in activity in the left prefrontal cortex of your brain, the area associated with the ability to focus and concentrate, plan, and enjoy positive feelings. Studies indicate that meditators also tend to have less depression and anxiety.

Try this: To meditate, all you have to do is find a private and comfortable place to close your eyes. Sit on a cushion cross-legged (resting attentively in a chair or lying on your back is fine too, if that will persuade you to do it!) and take in ten nice breaths. Listen to the sound of the air as it enters and exits your nose. Breathing through your nose stimulates what in yoga are called nadi—subtle channels of life force. By activating these channels, you not only calm the nervous system but also stir up the prana, or vitality, flowing through your body.

As you inhale, imagine a beautiful grace-filled light entering into the top of your head, and upon exhaling, picture sharing that light with the world. See the breath making a loop as it comes in and goes out. Keep your practice simple by repeating a mantra (a word or phrase that inspires you). A few that I use are: “Peace,” “Yes,” or “I am here.” Saying a mantra will help pull you back to the energy you want to focus on.

Try not to breathe so deeply that you hyperventilate, but rather bring the air all the way down to your belly and back up through your chest. Start off by taking ten breaths and gradually work your way up to a twenty-minute meditation as you get more used to cycling down and relaxing. Ease into it just as you would ease into an exercise program. You can use a kitchen timer or gently open your eyes from time to time to check on how many minutes you have left. This is just one way to meditate—a kind of all-purpose method.

There are many other forms of meditation, and it’s a good idea to explore until you find a method that works for you. Teachers and classes can guide you into a practice; these days you can find meditation in yoga studios, churches, temples, and monasteries. Find what feels right and then just keep showing up. Even if you think you are too restless, close your eyes for just a few minutes (or the ten breaths) and go inside. As often as you can, keep coming back to the present moment and invest your energy in experiencing the depth that meditation offers.

–pages 22-24 of Quantum Wellness

Kathy Freston is the author of the New York Times bestseller The One: Discovering the Secrets of Soul Mate Love and Expect a Miracle: 7 Spiritual Steps to Finding the Right Relationship. Her latest book, Quantum Wellness, is a life-changing guide in which she teaches the principles of “quantum wellness”—a significant increase in health of the mind, body, and spirit, achieved through small steps that yield extraordinary changes in our lives. Kathy has also produced a popular series of guided-meditation CDs. Her work has been featured in Vanity Fair, Harper’s Bazaar, Self, W, and Fitness, among other publications, and she has appeared on “Oprah,” “The View,” “Good Morning America,” and “The Martha Stewart Show.”