The benefits of meditation have been spoken about for decades, and yet the number of people actively meditating is still relatively small.
Why do we shy away from things that are good for us? Quite often we are sucked into the ‘too good to be true’ vibe and start to doubt that something so simple (and free!) could help turn our poor mental and physical health around.
There is also the misconception that meditation is difficult or boring, which couldn’t be further from the truth.
In reality, meditation is powerful and as natural as breathing. In our daily lives, there is a risk of moving too fast, feeling and being overwhelmed and overstimulated. Sensory intolerance is a frightening experience and yet we are putting ourselves in situations that overload our senses driving us to the brink of burnout.
If you allow meditation into your life, you will experience a sense of peace and calm that, over time, you will become fiercely protective about. It’s at this point you may begin to understand the value of balance.
Where do you start?
If you’ve never meditated before it can feel like a mammoth or even scary task.
- You may have heard about meditation retreats where hundreds of people sit motionless for hours on end.
- The thought of ‘emptying your mind’ seems like an alien concept as that inner voice in your head is constant.
- How on earth are you ever going to find time to do nothing?
I’ll let you in on a secret. I’ve never been able to shut my inner voice up! Meditation is an important part of my life and I began running meditation classes in 2011 to help the ladies in my local community find some peace, but at no time have I achieved silence.
That’s not my goal, and you may resonate with that.
My meditation goals are to calm my breathing, take 5-minutes out of my busy day to experience the quiet, and let go of any anxiety. Your goals may be different and that’s okay.
You might want more energy, to feel happier, or find peace of mind. Think of your meditation journey as an actual journey from where you are to where you want to be.
With my meditation students, I always begin with breathing.
Try this short exercise:
Find a quiet and comfortable place to sit where you won’t be disturbed.
Close your eyes and place your hands in your lap.
Take a few deep breaths in and out slowly.
To stop your mind from wandering to what you are cooking for dinner, or if you left the iron on count your breaths in your head.
Breathe in – one – breathe out – two – breathe in – one – breathe out – two – and so on.
See how long you can last. You might find that you can only manage two minutes, which is fine, but try and build up to five minutes.
You may notice that I’ve asked you to count in your head. By counting, or using an affirmation or mantra, you are disrupting the inner chatter. No, you’re not clearing your mind of all thoughts, but you are training it to take a time-out from the constant babble.
What are the benefits of meditating?
Breathing in and out is something you do all day every day, but concentrating on your breathing for a period of time means you are tapping into a host of benefits including:
- Reducing tension and anxiety
- Better concentration
- Feeling calmer and more focused
- Lower blood pressure
- Being more creative
Techniques you can use at work
It’s not always possible to carve time out of your day and start a meditation ritual, so finding a way to fit meditation around your life and work can be helpful.
Here are a few of my favourite techniques that my students use regularly:
- If you’ve had a rough day at work it can be far too easy to bring all that emotional baggage home with you. That means any negative feelings you have are spilling over into your home environment. To prevent this from happening I like to use a ‘walk to the car’ meditation. As you leave your place of work, start consciously counting your steps 1-2-3-4-5-6 until you reach your car. See if you can slow your walking down and match your breathing to your steps. Before climbing behind the wheel say ‘I release all my anxiety, worries, and concerns’. If you work from home, you might need to think outside the box and go for a walk around the block instead!
- Focus on an object to help you meditate. I love to use a candle flame as the flickering and moving shapes are captivating as well as calming. If you need to take five minutes during the working day to ground yourself then a candle flame might not be easily accessible (unless you make candles for a living!). If that’s the case, have a look around your environment and see what else you can use. Is there a ticking clock on the wall? Close your eyes and focus on the sound of the ticking. Try and bring your breathing in time with the sound. Can you put a moving screensaver on your computer screen of waves lapping on the shore? Anything like this makes a brilliant focus for meditation.
- Focused meditation where you sit still and close your eyes is wonderful, but when you are out and about it is possible to switch to acting meditatively – being in the moment. Noticing your surroundings, with all the different smells and sounds can be just as relaxing as a meditation session. Try spending five minutes listening for one sound, like the drone of cars on the road or chatter from commuters. Be in the moment and explore everything you can hear.
There is one important tip I want to share at this point. Stop trying to be perfect! When I first started meditating I would kick myself each time my focus wavered and the inner chatter took over. Eventually, I began to recognise when that inner voice slipped in and simply focused back on what I was doing (such as counting my breath).
It takes practice, but it’s worth persevering so you can fully appreciate the wonderful benefits to your health and wellbeing.
This is a guest blog written by my good friend Shelley Wilson.
Shelley Wilson is an author, blogger, and writing mentor with a background in holistic health and personal development. She wrote Meditation for Children, a book aimed at 5-9-year-olds, to help them start and maintain a regular meditation schedule. Her non-fiction books are written for women who want to dream it, live it, and become it.
Connect with Shelley here: https://linktr.ee/ShelleyWilson72
