Stress and anxiety taking a toll on your well being ? Meditation is like a ray of warm light in a dark, stormy sky.
Gone are the days when food, clothing, and a roof over your head were all that mattered for a good life. Now, money, success, physical beauty, connections, and a bustling social life have become the pillars of what makes a fulfilling existence. Constantly striving to achieve all these things in today’s fast-paced society has led many people down a path towards endless stress and anxiety.
As per the data compiled by Crossrivertherapy, a whooping 35% of people from around the world today complain about having stress. Due to the stress levels, the world has constantly been losing more than $1 trillion every year. Shocking, isn’t it?
Everyone of us, at some point or another, is overwhelmed by certain situations in life. While some of us have the natural ability to not let the situation affect us, others end up stressing themselves out leading to worry, tension, depression, anxiety, insomnia and so much more. At such times, it’s important to take a little time off from our routine, relax the mind and do something to restore our well-being. Activities such as journaling, exercising, painting, and playing around with little kids are natural stress busters but what tops the list is indulging in some mindful Meditation.
As per study by neuroscientist Sara Lazar, published on Washington Post, meditation has proved to not only release stress but also help in rewiring the brain in such a way that can help you induce empathy, and compassion and help you think more clearly.
HOW TO START?
The obvious question is how can you meditate when your mind is racing with thoughts and worries that make it difficult to relax. It doesn’t have to be this way. Here are a few key points to get you started :
- Start with just a few minutes and gradually increase the time.
- Just do it – Understand that it’s okay to let your mind wander off and lose focus. Come back and start again.
- Focus on your breaths.
- Understand your feelings – how you feel at the beginning of meditation and how you feel at the end. Note it down and see the progress.
- Know that there is nothing right or wrong when meditating.
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO MEDITATE?
All you need is a quiet and calm place and a willingness to work for the betterment of yourself.
Brownie points if you can wear loose and breathable cotton clothes .
HERE ARE A FEW WAYS TO MEDITATE :
1. Guided Meditation
This is perfect technique for beginners. In this method, a teacher or a guide usually takes you through different steps and helps you achieve a meditative state.
2. Mantra Meditation
In this technique, you can sit calmly and chant a mantra or a phrase. It can be as simple as chanting OM or a phrase like ‘ I am calm ‘ , ‘I am relaxed’ etc. multiple times. You can chant this mantra loudly or quietly. This kind of meditation induces relaxing hormones which in turn helps in reducing stress.
3. Focused Meditation
In this type of meditation, you can start by focusing on an object or a physical sensation for a set amount of time. You can set your focus on your breaths or a candle flame or even the moon!
4. Visualization Meditation
When in need of reducing stress, it’s important to look at the brighter side. Visualizing the positive aspects of your life and creating positive scenes and images in your mind can help you enhance the feelings of relaxation, peace, and calmness.
5. Body Scan Meditation
Stress induces tension in your body. This kind of meditation aims at relaxing your entire body. All you have to do is start with attention on your toe and move upwards gradually till your head. Make sure you cover your entire body. This type of meditation also helps in getting a sound sleep.
Pick up the style of meditation that suits you. It’s rightly said -“He who starts small will finish big“. Taking small steps towards achieving great mental health by the means of meditation will help you finish big in terms of overall happiness quotient of the mind, body and soul.
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