With everything going on in the world today, we need all the tools we can get to help us reduce stress and strengthen our minds and bodies. One really easy and useful way to do this is through meditation.

Meditation has been practiced for thousands of years, often associated with some sort of spiritual practice.

But it can also simply, be a means to be more mindful in our lives in a more peaceful and harmonious way.

It’s not about ridding your brain of busy or uncomfortable thoughts, but just sitting with them and focusing on something else, such as the rhythm of your breath, or the way your body feels. Or you can focus on a particular phrase, mantras, or even images to help calm your mind.

Do I Need Any Equipment

You don’t need any fancy equipment or clothing to meditate; you simply need a relatively quiet space to sit (or lie down) and be present with yourself.

There are a number of different apps and websites to help guide you if you are new to meditation: such as The Mindfulness Summit which is a great global community that will give you access to 31 of the worlds leading experts on Meditation and Mindfulness to learn how to live with more peace, purpose, and wisdom

two of the most popular apps are Headspace and Calm and there are several other guided meditation sources on YouTube and other websites as well. My favorite app by far is InsightTimer but If you’re new to meditation, try a few different ones to figure out which one feels right for you.

So why is meditation important?

It does feel really good to take a break from whatever else is going on in your day, but what are the other benefits to you? 

Stress Reduction & Health Benefits

By focusing on something other than whatever is stressing us out, mediation can help reduce stress. Just taking a deep breath, will help your body and mind get out of the fight-or-flight response when you’re in some sort of a crisis. And for people who have an illness that is worsened by stress, this can be a real benefit to your overall health as well as your mental health.

Increased Mindfulness and Self-Awareness

When we’re able to bring our focus away from busy thoughts during meditation, it can make things feel clearer and less cluttered in our brains. Mindfulness takes practice, but it’s a practice of letting go of the busyness instead of trying to stop thoughts from coming into our heads at all. By letting go, we can actually focus on what we’re doing right now, rather than getting bogged down in the past or future of what we should have done or what’s coming up next.

When you can put yourself in a state of mindfulness, even when you’re not actively meditating, it allows you to participate in what you’re doing more fully, whether it’s making a cup of coffee or running a marathon.

Reduce Negative Emotions & Build Stronger Relationships

With an increase in self-awareness comes the ability to not get so caught up in negative emotions. When you practice letting go of the spiral of negative thoughts that are feeding on other negative thoughts, it becomes easier to breeze past that little voice in your head telling you you’re not good enough, or even letting go of that fight you had with your family member. etc etc
Meditation can seem really daunting at first, but there’s really no wrong way to do it. 

Don’t take it too seriously, but practice makes perfect, and hopefully, you will see the benefits become clearer to you soon! Learn How to Reprogram your Subconscious Mind Here! Personal Development System

Related Article: How to Create a Powerful life-changing Morning Meditation Routine in 5 Easy Steps

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