Meditation

Let’s be honest for a second.  Today’s world can be extremely stressful.  With inflation going up and salaries remaining the same if not lower, many people are unsurprisingly anxious about many aspects of their life, particularly when it comes to keeping up with their bills.  We could all benefit from an activity that reduces our stress and allows us to relax, because let’s face it, stress can take its toll on our bodies.  Meditation is one activity that could help you relieve some of your stress. 

Before we dive deeper into this, I of course must put my disclaimer out there and mention that I am not a medical professional, and nothing in this article should be construed as giving any type of medical advice or otherwise.  Please consult your physician for such advice.  The information provided in this article is based on my own personal experience and what I have seen in myself. 

So, what is meditation?  In the simplest terms, meditation is a practice that involves training the mind to focus on a particular object, thought, or your breath, to achieve a state of mental clarity and calmness.  Overall, meditation is a simple process whereby you find a quiet space and sit comfortably with your eyes closed.  Focus on your breath and observe any thoughts or sensations without judgment.

When I first started meditating, for some reason I found it to be difficult, as many others have as well.  I thought that meditation involved trying to ignore any thoughts that came through.  I would meditate either sitting down or laying down, and I convinced myself that I had to be perfectly still like a board, and I found that so hard to do. 

Every time I tried to meditate and sit perfectly still, my nose would itch, or my knee would itch, a bunch of thoughts would come out of left field such as what I was going to have for dinner or wondering if I watered my plants the day before, and so on.  The more I tried to shake off and ignore those passing thoughts, the more would come through and it would get annoying.  That is when I learned to simply acknowledge those thoughts that would come through and let them pass by naturally. 

In reading books about meditation, and watching various videos, most people say that it is easiest to focus on your breath, and as I did that more and more, it became a little easier.  I had to train my mind to focus on that one thing.  If your mind wanders, gently bring your focus back to your breath.  I started with a few minutes a day, and gradually increased the amount of meditation time as I became more comfortable.

Many people meditate in complete silence, but for me, I find it much easier to meditate along with a guided meditation, or at least meditation music.  You can find hundreds if not thousands of guided meditations online such as YouTube or other apps.  Just listen to a couple of them for a few minutes to see if it resonates with you.  Is the person’s voice calming?  Is the music calming?  You must be comfortable.  While hundreds of people may enjoy a particular meditation, there will certainly be people who do not and that is ok.  You must find what works for you.

There are also many different types of meditation, including mindfulness meditation, transcendental meditation, and loving-kindness meditation just to name a few.  Each type involves different techniques, but all of them have the same goal; to help you achieve a state of calm and relaxation.  You can also find various YouTube videos on the different types of meditation. 

Overall, meditation has been shown to have physical and mental health benefits, many of which I have experienced, especially calming and relaxing the body.  In today’s ever stressful world, more and more people are seeking ways to reduce stress and improve their overall well-being.  I have found meditation to be a great way to achieve this, and to help me feel more relaxed, energized, and focused, and you may too.  You never know until you at least try.  You may discover a new stress reducer.  Happy meditating!