We’ve long ago talked about yoga and the powers of calming the mind, so here we are talking: meditation. If this sentence alone has you feeling -bla- (judgemental) then this article is for you. If you think meditation is something yogi millennials do on yoga mats in Shoreditch or something that only Buddhist monks practise across the globe, humming into the wilderness, a far cry from London… then you’re wrong. Allow this article to open your mind to the health benefits of taking time out for free thought to be kind to yourself and quite possibly, drastically improve your wellbeing.
Not sold on the idea? Here’s an article by Forbes on 6 Scientifically Proven Benefits Of Mindfulness And Meditation.
What we so often hear from people is that they have no time to devote to feeling better and happier. We think this is sad but also … (dare we call anyone out on it) -not true! We’re all busy, so that’s everyone – what we have to do is find the time. It’s all about priorities right? If you want something, you’ll go after it. I think you have to invest in committing to feeling good and take the time to do the things that will make you feel happier and healthier. Some may think meditation is boring. If any of these sound like you but you’re still reading this article and you’re still interested in how you too can reduce stress and feel better then my suggestion would be: bath time. We all bath/shower at least once a day. This is your opportunity to replenish the self.
Select a relaxing song (we know music is therapeutic because we’ve talked about it here, here and here); take a bath (or shower) and enjoy listening to something like this for just 10 minutes a day, if that’s all you have. What may be helpful is to take three deep breaths and let the breath go. I find I hold my breath quite a lot throughout the day. Breathing in until you can’t take in any more air (slowly) and then letting that breath out through the mouth is a yoga technique from my practise but anyone can do it and you will feel better afterwards. Upside: if you’re having 10 minutes relax to yourself in the bath, who’s to judge you with your loud sighing sounds anyway?! I find this technique great to use throughout the day if you are feeling tight chested, uptight or stressed about anything. Breathe in deeply and slowly and just let go by breathing out in one go. It’s recommended you close your eyes when meditating. I find I can slip into a starring trance and I don’t need to shut down the eyes, but we’re all different. Do what works for you.
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