There is a common narrative these days and it goes something like this, “I wish I was happier, more fulfilled, more alive, less anxious and less depressed.” Who doesn’t want this? Well, there is hope and it comes wrapped in some good news for you: there’s a simple and way to achieve all this and more. It’s called meditation.
Meditation is not some weird or boring thing that only monks or hippies do. It’s actually a super cool and awesome way to train your brain to be more focused, aware, and kind. Meditation can also make your body stronger and more resilient. And the best part is: anyone can do it! Today I’m going to share some of the amazing benefits of meditation according to science and show you how you can start meditating today.
What Is Meditation?
Meditation is basically a way of paying attention to something on purpose. You can choose anything to focus on: your breath, a sound, an image, or even a word or phrase that makes you feel good. The idea is not to stop thinking or empty your mind; that’s impossible anyway. The idea is to notice what’s going on in your head and body without judging it or getting carried away by it. In other words, to observe, with your thoughts and feelings and keep them free of judgment. It’s in this state we can then use our minds to create our realities.
Easy tips to get you started with Meditation:
- Find a comfy and quiet spot where you won’t be disturbed
- Set a timer for how long you want to meditate (usually 10 to 20 minutes)
- Close your eyes or look down
- Breathe deeply and slowly through your nose
- Focus on your chosen thing (your breath, a sound, an image, or a word or phrase)
- Notice when your mind wanders off and gently bring it back to your focus
- End your session with gratitude and kindness
What are the Benefits of Meditation?
Meditation has tons of benefits for both your body and mind. Here are some of them:
- Reduces stress: Meditation can lower the amount of cortisol (the stress hormone) in your body and calm down the inflammation caused by stress. This can help you deal with stressful situations better and prevent stress from messing up your health.
- Controls anxiety: Meditation can also lower anxiety levels by changing how you react to negative thoughts and feelings. Meditation can help you break free from worry cycles and become more accepting and resilient.
- Improves mood: Meditation can boost positive emotions such as happiness, joy, love, and compassion, as well as increase the activity of brain areas that help you control your emotions.
- Enhances cognition: Meditation can improve various aspects of cognitive functioning such as attention span, memory, creativity, problem-solving, learning, and decision-making. Meditation can also slow down brain ageing by increasing grey matter density.
- Supports immune system: Meditation can strengthen your immune system by increasing the production of antibodies and reducing inflammation. which can help you fight off infections better.
- Meditation promotes a sense of well-being: Meditation can give you a sense of calm, peace and balance that can benefit both your emotional well-being and your overall health. You can also use it to relax and cope with stress by refocusing your attention on something calming. Meditation can help you learn to stay centred and keep inner peace.
- Relieves pain: Meditation can reduce physical pain by changing how you perceive it, and research also shows that meditation uses neural pathways that make the brain less sensitive to pain and increases use of the brain’s own pain-reducing opioids.
Start Meditating Today
- Choose a time and place that works for you: You don’t need any special equipment or clothing to meditate; just find a comfortable spot where you won’t be interrupted for at least 10 minutes (or longer if possible).
- Choose a type of meditation that suits you: There are many types of meditation out there; experiment with different ones until you find what works for you. You can use apps, videos, books, or podcasts to guide you through different techniques, or you can simply follow your own intuition and do what feels right for you.
- Be consistent
Connect with us at connect@madetothrive.co.za if this peaked your interest and you need help on starting your journey to Health and Wellbeing.
