Meditation has become increasingly popular. Not surprising, considering scientific research shows that meditation has a positive effect on mental health. Briefly described, meditation is an accessible concentration exercise. You can easily learn how to meditate and it is a nice way to filter the constant stream of thoughts, with the result that you feel more comfortable in your own skin. You experience less stress, your immune system works better and the days when your head overflows with thoughts are over.
Advantages of meditation:
- It will be easier to concentrate and you will be able to work more efficiently: you act from a calm state of mind instead of a state of agitation or frustration.
- Your stress level will go down, which boosts your immune system.
- You become less frustrated and can let go of your anger more quickly.
- You will recognize certain thought patterns, which allows you to make more conscious choices.
Just do it
Meditating is simply a matter of doing it. The power lies in the repetition and having the discipline to keep on doing it. When you start meditating, set a realistic goal. For example, start by meditating once a week during 5 minutes in the morning or evening. Gradually increase the number of minutes and the amount of times per week . You will notice yourself when the time is right to start increasing the amount of times you meditate.
The initial goal is not to meditate for hours on end, seven days a week. The goal is to create a routine, so that meditation becomes as natural as brushing your teeth. By gradually building a routine you can start making meditation a part of your daily schedule.
You can’t go wrong with meditation
The biggest advantage of meditating is that it can’t go wrong! This also applies to the body position you adopt during meditation. You can sit cross-legged, with your legs stretched forward if that feels more comfortable, or just upright on a chair. You can even meditate lying down! In short, there are many choices and sometimes this can be confusing. The best advice I can give you: don’t pay too much attention to others, but choose a position that works for YOU! After all, meditation is all about you.
Getting started
To get you started, below are two quick and effective meditations:
Busy Mind | duration 5 minutes
Did you know that on average we have between 40,000 to 60,000 thoughts per day? This converts to 55 thoughts per minute. That is a lot! At times when it feels like your head is flooded with thoughts, this is a nice meditation to find more peace and get the overview back.
Time To Relax | duration 5 minuten
When we experience stress our breathing changes immediately. We start breathing higher towards the chest. The longer this takes, the longer the feeling of stress remains. The most natural way of breathing is from the stomach , which allows the body to function optimally. This meditation allows you to practice abdominal breathing which ensures a relaxed feeling.
Are you looking for more background information about meditation? Read all about it in this blog.
