Meditation made easy.
If you’re like most people, you probably think of meditation as something that’s difficult and time-consuming. You may even believe that in order to meditate effectively, you need to spend hours each day sitting in a lotus position, chanting “ohm.”
But the truth is, you can get all the benefits of meditation by incorporating it into your day-to-day life in a very easy way. In fact, you don’t even have to sit down! All you need to do is find a few minutes here and there when you can focus on your breath and let all other thoughts drift away.
The practice of meditation can be traced back centuries. In fact, some of the earliest written records of meditation come from India, where it was used as a tool for spiritual growth and enlightenment. But over time, meditation has become popular all over the world, and today it is used not only for spiritual purposes but also for physical and mental health.
There are many different types of meditation, but all of them share a few common elements.
The main components of meditation are:
- Breathing: One of the most important things to focus on when meditating is your breath. When your mind starts to wander, simply bring your attention back to your breath and allow yourself to relax.
- Focusing on a mantra: A mantra is a word or phrase that you repeat over and over again in your mind. This can help you focus and stay in the moment.
- Visualization: visualization is the act of picturing something in your mind’s eye. When you’re meditating, you can use visualization to imagine yourself in a peaceful place or surrounded by positive energy.
- Letting go of thoughts: The goal of meditation is to clear your mind and let go of all thoughts. Don’t fight against any thoughts that come up – simply acknowledge them and then let them go.
To incorporate this into your day we recommend starting with a guided meditation. One of our favourites is this guided meditation from Sam Harris, an American philosopher. This 9-minute guided meditation is perfect first thing in the morning. We often return to this mindfulness meditation when we are feeling the need for a recalibration during stressful times.
Another option for people looking to meditate (among other things) is to sign up for "Open" an online community of meditation, yoga and breathwork teachers. Open, has a range of live, and on-demand sessions that fit right into your pocket, and life!
We personally love online meditation as a backup, but nothing quite compares to joining your local yoga or meditation studio to really be present and away from a screen during your meditation practice. But having digital options is better than not practising at all.
Good luck! and happy meditating.
Tag @modehealthcare with your meditation practices, we would love to see how you set up your space for meditation.
