In this age of pandemonium, we are tired, irritable, and often quite stressed. Many of us are looking for a way to help soothe both our thoughts and relax our bodies. Meditation can be it!
You can find a lot of information about meditation on the Internet, but also hear about its positive aspects from people who have decided to practice it. It is said to help work on concentration and even relieve depressive states. How to start meditating and why actually do it?
There are many definitions to explain the phenomenon of meditation. Some consider it a spiritual practice, others consider it a kind of relaxing yoga, i.e. physical activity, and still others consider it a mere invention and a new name for a way of relaxation. It is difficult to define until you know it. It is all about “switching off”, completely resetting and concentrating on clearing your thoughts, but also relaxing the tense muscles of your body.
If you want to start meditating, you don’t have to prepare yourself specially for this activity. If you are at home, simply take a mat, sit on it in a comfortable position, close your eyes and focus only on your breathing
Remember, nothing and no one can distract you. You can’t meditate with the television on, the music blaring, or the children making noise next door. Once you learn to calm and quiet your thoughts (and believe me, this is not as easy as it sounds), you will see the benefits of meditation itself.
When you meditate, you set goals for yourself, and those goals include: improving your health, both physical and mental, taking control of your mind and body, getting rid of negative emotions, and ultimately freeing yourself from recurring fears.
The benefit of meditation, cited among its many proponents, is getting rid of recurring headaches, which can have various causes, but are most often the result of stress. It is mainly about reducing headaches caused by nervousness or intense thinking. Many people confirm that meditation reduces the frequency of such headaches, that they appear less frequently and last shorter periods of time.
Meditating also helps to reduce stress. In the 21st century, it is already a plague, everything and everyone is rushing, and only stress can catch up with them. Meditation increases resistance to stressful situations. Researchers at Harvard University believe that 80 percent of medical visits are just caused by stress.
If we get our nerves under control, our mood improves as well. For example, we will stop worrying and the energy we used to use to “fight” intrusive thoughts will now be directed towards developing new passions or learning another language. Meditation, which reduces stress levels, also slows down cellular aging. What does this mean? Stress levels affect the rate of aging in the body.
People who meditate regularly also feel a surge of energy. Gone is the apathy that causes one to not want to get out of bed in the morning, despite many hours of sleep. When we meditate, we put our body and mind into a state of deep relaxation, we relax, and so we “recharge” ourselves with new energy. Sleep becomes more effective, because we can sleep 6 hours instead of 9, and we will feel more rested. At night, no anxiety will disturb any of our sleep phases.
Over time, as you become more proficient at meditating, you can engage in this relaxation practice outside the walls of your home, for example, in a park. Meditating in nature can be much more enjoyable than meditating within your own four walls. Maybe we will take a special liking to some place and it will become our oasis and “temple” for meditation?
Read also: DO YOU WANT TO START PRACTICING YOGA? HERE ARE 4 REASONS THAT WILL CONFIRM THAT IT IS A GOOD IDEA
Main photo: Prasanth Inturi/ pexels.com
