In a modern world where we are always on, always available and bombarded with alerts and notifications, it’s perhaps no surprise that many of us struggle to switch off naturally.
Meditation is nothing new though; it can be traced back to the 1st century – possibly even earlier and has taken on many different forms and interpretations over the years, forming an important part of spirituality in a wide range of religions and used for all sorts of purposes to bring about clarity and strengthen inner well-being.
Today, there are lots of different types of meditation techniques available and all sorts of useful guides and even apps to help you start off. A lot of people don’t know all that much about meditation and sometimes I hear people say that they thought it was just about sitting there!
Personally, I tend to meditate before I go to bed when I want to wake up feeling extra positive and happy. You would think I’d meditate every night with that in mind, and although I always wake up the next day feeling amazing, Meditation takes a lot of concentration; you have to push away busy thoughts and it takes a lot of hard work and effort to change your headspace.
Top Tip:
Headspace App has a free trial to get you started with meditation and it’s a great way to get into it. Give it a go here…
It’s a bit like going to the gym; once you’re there and half way through a class, you feel amazing, but the thought of getting up and actually going isn’t always appealing!
Meditation is also good if you’re trying to find a solution to a problem or you can’t stop thinking about something, it enables you to stop obsessing and find clarity.
Quick Guide to Meditation:
What is Meditation?
Meditation is a technique that allows you to engage in deep concentration and build a strong connection with the body and mind to seek improved clarity and well-being. It is the process of stopping the engine from going for a bit – giving everything a bit of a break
Why Meditate?
- Mediate to allow the brain to stop thinking as the mind is very powerful.
- It allows you to listen to your body more and clears all the chatter from your mind.
- You build a stronger connection with your body so that you can feel what is going on better internally.
- A lot of people do it to help relieve stress and improve sleep.
Is it Easy?
Meditation isn’t easy, but it is worth it. There are lots of different forms of meditation and I think for beginners, the easiest and most effective technique is Body Scan. It’s all about breathing and listening to your breathing.
During Body Scan Meditation, you need to try and chill out and feel if anything is tight or out of balance and breathe into those things to relieve tension.
Yoga is a form of meditation too; it can be a long or short process – there is no right or wrong way, it’s about what works for you.
Ying Yoga is more of a meditation Yoga, it’s very slow and you hold positions for 2-3 minutes. More about Yoga coming soon.
In New York MNDFL run amazing Meditation classes – check out this video of their space…
There are also a lot of resources online that can help you start your journey with Meditation.
READ MORE: Meditation app Insight Timer & read about the latest trend in meditation, sophrology.
© Wendy Rowe. All Rights Reserved.
