Wouldn't it be amazing if there were a button that could just turn off our mind for a moment? Allow us to rest without any stress and fear to bother us? Sadly, such a magic button doesn't exist, but we do have a medicine that's used by people all around the world. From Hollywood celebrities to wandering monks somewhere in India. We're talking about meditation, of course. It's free, it has no side effects, and scientists have proven that it really works.
Children react to the stress and emotions of their parents. If you're unhappy of afraid, your children will feel the same way. Meditation won't only help you, it will also help the rest of your family. It won't magically change your established routine, but you'll gain a new outlook and start seeing things differently. You'll become calmer. There are many different kinds of meditation, you just need to choose the one that works for you.
The benefits of meditation
Scientists have researched the effect meditation has on the human brain, health, and happiness. Over 3000 studies have shown very positive results. Just look at some of the following benefits:
- meditation helps calm you down and gives you energy,
- people who meditate require less sleep,
- meditation helps improve your memory and concentration,
- your brain ages slower,
- helps increase your immunity,
- meditation helps with depression, stress, and anxiety,
- helps reduce blood pressure,
- helps with insomnia,
- helps improve creative thinking.
Meditation helps make your parenting duties easier. You'll be able to concentrate better and do a lot more in less time.
Where to begin?
There's nothing complicated about meditation. You don't need to undergo special training in a Tibetan monastery. Just set a timer on your phone, sit comfortably, straighten your back, and focus on your breathing. Start out slow and only meditate for a few minutes at a time. You can then slowly increase the amount of time you spend meditating. Here are a few tips to help you with your first meditation.
- Make meditation a daily ritual, either in the morning or before bed.
- Find a quiet place and sit down comfortably.
- If you need to relax, you can listen to some calming instrumental music.
- Scented candles will also help you relax and enjoy the meditation a lot more.
- At first, set your timer for a few minutes, five should be enough. Meditate like this for a few days, then increase the time to 10 minutes. Don't forget to set an alarm that won't startle you after the timer runs out.
- If you're not sure how exactly to meditate and what to do, you can find many meditation videos on YouTube. They'll guide you through your meditation step by step. Just download the mobile app to your phone.
- Close your eyes and focus on your breathing.
- Don't try to block out your thoughts but don't pay attention to them either. Just let them flow freely.
- If you feel like it's not working, don't worry. Try to count in your head. For example, slowly count to ten while you breathe in and out, then repeat.
- Mantras or affirmations are also quite popular. Their purpose is to take your mind off of things while you meditate. Try to create your own mantra that you can repeat.
After the meditation, treat yourself to some herbal tea or try a few yoga exercises. You can afford to spend five minutes relaxing, right? You can also meditate while lying down, but you might fall asleep. If you like to enjoy a hot bath, you can also meditate in the tub.
You can meditate while doing pretty much any everyday activity. All you need to do is to focus on the moment. For example, during a walk, you can try to focus on how the ground feels under your feet or on observing the faces of the people you meet, the nature you see, and many other things. The trick is to only focus on one thing at a time. If you're talking to someone, focus entirely on what they're saying. If you're playing with your child, focus solely on the game. Like this, you can meditate almost anywhere and anytime.
"Meditation isn't for me."
"I tried it, but I can't stop thinking about things. It's just not for me." Many of us can probably relate to this statement. Your mind is full and failing to stop your train of thought is the reason many people just give up on meditation. "We tried it, it just didn't work." You should know that you're not alone and that getting rid of one's thoughts is hard for almost everyone. It's like there's a small monkey in everyone's head that's just jumping over from thought to thought. If you meditate regularly, you'll eventually reach a state where you'll be able to stop thinking. Don't try to fight your thoughts. Allow them to flow but don't give them attention.
Some people see meditation as sitting cross-legged and singing a mantra in a foreign language. Many go as far as to see meditation as a religious act. Of course, meditation can be all of those things but don't force yourself into it if that's not how you feel. Meditation is always about being yourself, nothing more and nothing less. You don't need any mantras or foreign religions.
"I'm tired and I don't have time for this." Did you know that meditation can help you gain energy? All you need to do is set aside 5 – 10 minutes every day. You can even meditate while doing other things, such as walking, cleaning or ironing. The basis of meditation is to focus on the moment.
Meditation will help you get through the hard times in your life instead of trying to push them away. Have you ever tried meditation? What worked the best for you?
