Why Meditate?
Meditation has been on everyone’s radar these days. Meditation can seem really intimidating. I mean, who of us feels like we have the time and the focus necessary to clear our minds and meditate for so long?! I’m telling you, though, meditation is not as difficult or time-consuming as it seems. Meditation doesn’t have to be perfect, or long, or super serious. YOU can make meditation your own and use it to benefit your life.
I think of meditation like exercise. We all know that exercise is essential. It can challenge us while we are doing it, but we know that it benefits our bodies even when we are not working out. When we are doing some physical activity, all the work we have done previously has helped us prepare for the challenge and we get better the more we do it. Meditation is like exercise for our minds. We do it knowing that it pays off not only in the moment but also when we aren’t meditating. It’s a beautiful thing!
Meditation doesn’t have to be perfect, or long, or super serious. YOU can make meditation your own and use it to benefit your life.
Benefits of Meditating and Making It Your Own
You might think of meditation and automatically think of relaxation. It’s so true; meditation can indeed be relaxing. Meditation releases stress, which can have side effects that directly affect our health by improving our immune system and lowering your blood pressure. It improves our focus and concentration, fosters a more positive outlook, and allows us to deal with negative emotions more effectively. That sure is a lot of benefits for a practice that costs nothing and doesn’t take up a lot of time and energy! When I 
meditate, I feel more relaxed, slow to get frustrated or angry, and more positive about my body and my abilities. Some days, meditating happens easily and other days it doesn’t, but I keep working on it.
Meditation comes in many different styles, and you may prefer one style over another. Basically, meditation involves engaging your body in a simple posture, focusing on your breathing, and concentrating on calming your mind. You may find that you like one style over another, and that’s awesome! Again, meditation is like exercise: not everyone likes to do the same activity. So if you’re researching and see all kinds of results from guided meditation to Qi gong, keep reading and research these to feel out which you like best. Try new types and change things up as you go.
How to Meditate and Apps to Help
A great way to start is by setting a timer for 10 minutes, sitting down in a quiet, comfortable place, crossing your legs, and closing your eyes. Breathe deeply and slowly in and out. Focus on your breath. If you start thinking of other things, that’s fine. Acknowledge the thought and let it pass by. Don’t dwell on it; you have time to think of those things later. If and when you get distracted, just focus again on your breath. Go easy on yourself. Meditation is a practice like any other, and the more you do it, the better it will get!
Of course, if you like your gadgets, several meditation apps are available and are excellent ways to either start meditating or deepen your practice. Stop, Breathe, and Think is a free and very accessible app that uses guided meditations and is very friendly to beginners. Headspace is also a free app that helps you determine what you want to focus on in your meditation time. Start with Take10, which encourages you to do 10 minutes of meditation a day for 10 days. Totally do-able!
Now, take a chill pill and give meditating a go!
Do you already meditate? Share your wisdom in the comments below! Have questions? Ask away!
Love learning about improving your mental health? Check out my review of the book Radical Acceptance by Tara Branch.
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