Mindfulness and meditation have become keywords in recent years. With a multitude of meditation apps and streaming capabilities, it can be overwhelming when looking for somewhere to begin.
Meditation is diverse and flexible. Across the various types, there are four common elements: a quiet space, an open mind, a focus of attention and a comfortable position. It can be as long as an hour, or as short as 30 seconds; the importance is to find a moment of peace.
Benefits of Meditation
Meditation can provide a variety of benefits: lower blood pressure, improved sleep, decreased tension headaches, increased focus and attention, muscle relaxation; inner harmony, stillness/peace, self-reflection; increased imagination and creativity, improved mood, positive outlook, stress management, and decreased depression and anxiety.
There are many different forms of meditation. Finding the one that feels right to you comes with sampling. Some examples include: body scan, mantra meditation, movement, loving-kindness, and focused attention. In addition, Yoga and Tai Chi imbed meditation throughout their practices to create a body-mind-spirit connection through movement.
If guided imagery meditation isn’t comfortable for you, try box breathing instead. Here is an example of getting started: Imagine a box. As you breathe your breath travels along each side of the box: breathe in to the count of four, hold to the count of four, breathe out to the count of four, and hold for the count of four. Our breath needs a moment to pause before each inhale and exhale, our mind needs a breath when it feels overwhelmed. As you breathe allow your thoughts to focus on your box breathing, calming the mind and body.
Meditation as Mindfulness
Another form of meditation is mindfulness. Mindfulness is a state of being aware of what is going on around us without analyzing it or thinking about it; simply put, a state of being present. Mindfulness can be a form of meditation, imagine sitting where you are reading this, taking a few moments to close your eyes and take in all that’s around you. What do you hear, feel, smell? Open your eyes and take in what you see. Be present in your space and allow your mind time to take it all in.
Meditation takes practice. It begins with training the mind to focus in a specific way. Numerous resources support trying new forms of meditation. Popular apps include Headspace, Let’s Meditate, Insight Timer, Aura, or Calm. Some website resources: “mindfullnessexercises.com” has guided meditation scripts, and “psycom.net” wrote a list of free meditation resources. YouTube also has a plethora of meditation resources to fit any timeframe or practice.
Finding what fits can take some time, but practicing meditation, even a small amount each day, can come with beneficial side effects. Calm the mind, take a moment, and breathe.
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