Meditation
Peace of mind can be attained at no cost to you – other than 15 minutes of your time. How? Through regular meditation, blood pressure can be lowered, anxiety decreased, immune system strengthened, more vitality, and you can have better and more restful sleep.
Meditation is a safe and easy way to balance your physical, emotional and mental state, and its countless benefits have been known and practiced for thousands of years. One of the most important of these benefits is that meditation releases the stress of daily living from our bodies. If you meditate regularly you will feel a sense of calm and control. You will feel more peaceful and relaxed about life.
Meditation causes physiological changes that, over time, occur even when you’re not meditating. The meditative state is carried with you – even when you’re not engaging in meditation. Ultimately, the skills can be summoned at any time to calm you.
The Benefits of Meditation:
Increases self-confidence
Helps with weight loss
Reduces stress and anxiety
Creates a sense of wellbeing
Helps keep blood pressure to its correct level
Increases energy levels
Helps you keep healthy
Improves concentration
Improves sleep
How to Meditate:
A simple 10 or 15 minute meditation can help you overcome your stress and calm your mind, allowing you to connect to your inner peace. You can meditate at any time of the day, and it’s nice to meditate after a shower or bath as you will feel fresh and energized.
First, find a quiet, relaxing environment. Sit or lie in a comfortable position and try to keep your back straight as this will help with your breathing. Close your eyes and breathe naturally, preferably through the nose. You may wish to imagine a peaceful setting. Relax every muscle in your body, starting with your toes and working up to your head. Do this gradually and let any tension drain away. Become aware of the sensation of your breath as it enters and leaves the nostrils. When you first begin to meditate you may find that your mind starts to wander. This is fine. Just gently bring your attention back to your breath until it fills your consciousness. It doesn’t matter how many times you need to do this. You will find that it becomes easier the more you meditate. One way of avoiding the chatter of your thoughts is to count your breaths from 1 to 10 then starting again at 1. As your mind becomes still, it will become lucid and clear and you will feel a sense of contentment and wellbeing.
Meditation is an ideal way to improve mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing. There is no absolute right or wrong way to meditate, although there are some misconceptions about meditation. Common myths are that the practise of meditation is difficult and requires great concentration or it is not successful unless we see interesting things in our mind. This is not true. Try to approach meditation with a “relaxed effort” rather than being worried about doing it correctly or having a preconceived notion about what is going to happen. Beginners often find their minds wandering or loss of concentration, but these will diminish with time and practise. You do not need to believe in any particular religion to meditate.
Stilling your train of thought allows you to connect with your source of wellbeing and experience a profound sense of peace. It’s not only thinking positively that makes us feel good but stopping the negative thoughts we think. And as it’s not easy to monitor our thoughts every second, the best way to reconnect with our inner peace is by the practise of meditation.