Bringing your "A" game to your trading platform and ensuring that you are "in the moment, fully available, fully present and in the now" of the trade is crucial to getting the results that you want. You've got to be able to focus with intention and attention to decrease the pain associated with being out-of-control. There is great value in being aligned, centered and grounded in order to optimize all of your system's resources toward seeing reality for what it is, being on the right side of the order flow, and dancing with the price action by following its lead. Among the many ways that help you with alignment, centeredness and being grounded, few are as powerful as meditation. Over the years, the usefulness of meditation has been scientifically documented with regard to physiological, mental, emotional and behavioral benefits. Some of those benefits include:

  • Sharpening attention

  • Lowering heart rate

  • Lowering stress levels

  • Easing anxiety

  • Increasing patience

  • Inducing calm

  • Reducing susceptibility to fear and greed

With consistency, this powerful exercise supports the entire system of mind/body and spirit.

Meditation has covered the entire planet throughout history in one form or another with differing configurations; however, there is a common theme of calming, centering, aligning and grounding the mind/body. Meditation is a journey with no destination, a journey that enters into the depths of heart and soul to open the self to a deeper conversation with the higher centers of being.

As stated earlier, being fully present and in the moment is one of the major aims of meditation. Being fully present means the mind/body system is living and vibrating in this moment, without internal or external distractions. Being fully present means the focus is on the task at hand while remaining on purpose, and on target. So often while trading you are thinking about what happened in the last trade, the last hour, yesterday or what is coming up in the next few moments or tomorrow. In other words, you're everywhere but where you should be, focused on what is taking place right now – the "what-matters-most" of the trade. Distractions can come in the form of negative emotions like fear, greed, and anxiety, all of which can distort perception and make illusions seem real. Consistent meditation hones an appreciation for just "being," without timetables, goals, effort or hubris. Trying harder yields diminishing returns while surrender and letting things be are prescriptions for success (success being defined as sitting, standing or walking in quiet serenity and allowing the march of things either in your head or in the "hood" to go on while you are in it, but not of it).

The meditation exercise I am going to share with you is similar to a "Mindful Meditation" Jon Kabot Zinn talks about in his book, Full Catastrophe Living. Sit down in a chair, or on a pillow, or on the floor. The point is to get comfortable. You'll want to keep your back straight in order to facilitate the energy flow up and down your spine. If you sit in a chair, put your feet flat on the floor, maintaining the energy flow in a constant and facilitated state. The eastern philosophies of China, India and the like speak of the energies Chi and Prana. Chi is the Chinese word used to describe "the natural energy of the Universe." This energy, though called "natural," is spiritual or supernatural, and is part of a metaphysical belief system. Chi is thought to permeate all things, including the human body. Prana is a Sanskrit word meaning 'breath' and refers to a vital, life-sustaining force of living beings. Prana is a central concept in Indian medicine and Yoga, where it is believed to flow through a network of fine subtle channels, but principally through the nostrils.

Now, take your attention and focus it on an external or internal point such as an imaginary candlelight, or picturing your navel. The point is not to try to concentrate energy - that would be an act of doing - but to focus the attention and let the mind be free of thinking. Allow the thoughts to come and go with an intention of un-attachment to any thought. The breath is especially helpful by deeply inhaling through the nose and slowly exhaling through the mouth with the lips pursed as if blowing out a candle. This could be done to a cadence count of 4 – 6 – or 8, pausing after each inhale with the same count, then slowly exhaling to that same count. What matters is to control the breath. The breath is very important, as it is a cleansing action and oxygenates the blood stream while helping to dilate blood vessels and send more oxygen to the brain, which has a calming effect on the entire body.

A mantra might also be used; it is a mystical phrase of one or more syllables, typically from the Sanskrit language. Their use varies according to the school and philosophy associated with the mantra. Mantras are in the Vedic religion of India; but their use has morphed over the centuries to support the single-minded focus of the meditation process. Chanting a brief phrase or mantra, either out loud or silently, helps to focus the attention and let go of thought. 'Om' or 'aum' is a universal mantra that works well for assisting in letting go of thoughts. Its derivation is Chinese and it is a mystical or sacred syllable in the Dharmic religions. It is placed at the beginning of most Hindu texts as a sacred exclamation to be uttered at the beginning and end of a reading of any prayer or mantra.
Chant or say the word silently, repeatedly, along with the cadence of your breathing. Let me emphasize that the mantra is not necessary, but may be of help. It is perfectly OK and, in fact, preferable by many to just sit and focus your attention on your breathing. This is a very powerful way to proceed.

It is important to be attuned to the process not as "trying" but "being" in order to allow the mind/body to resonate with the stillness and quiet. It is said that for every hour of meditation, the body gets the equivalent of 4 hours of rest. As you breathe deeply and evenly to the cadence of the count, let go of any thought, care or issue and, when it returns, acknowledge it and allow it to be there without judgment. This may be difficult at first, but just keep the intention strong and, with time, you will be able to sit in quiet stillness with only the sound of either your breathing or the chant of the mantra as your thoughts come and go. Eventually, your ability to just "be" will become stronger and you may find you are held captive less and less by unruly thoughts.

Practice meditation at the same time everyday to help instill the habit and routine, especially when beginning. It's a perfect way to start your day before you do anything else. It can rejuvenate, align, invigorate and charge your system, infusing you with a sharpened sense of attention to what matters. It's also a wonderful way to end the day, to wind down, de-stress, realign, shed tension, calm the system, and generally defuse any negative energy that could disrupt a good night's sleep. A meditation break at lunch is an excellent tool to maintain balance and focus for the day to weed out distractions and remain on purpose and on task. As you can see, any time might be the best time for you. You choose. Additionally, you may want to develop a two-a-day practice, once in the morning and once in the evening, as a powerful way to instill and maintain a sense of calm intention throughout the day and night.
There is no set time interval to meditate but, generally speaking, 20 to 30 minutes is what many use. Jon Kabat-Zinn speaks of 45 minutes for those who use the mindful meditative process. For beginners, I usually suggest that they start with 5 minutes and work their way into longer time frames until they are able to remain still and focused for 20 to 45 minutes. A small and non-intrusive timer might be used in the beginning to support your practice.

Your trading deserves the best you can give while activating and accessing all of your internal and external resources. Diligent and consistent meditation will help you to reduce distorted judgment and distracted thinking by building patience and a level of detachment. This, and other powerful tools, are what we teach in Mastering the Mental Game. You've got to have mental and emotional tools in your tool belt, otherwise it's like driving without a steering wheel; you will lose your way and crash and burn without them. Put the steering into your trading. Ask your Online Trading Academy Education Counselor for more information.