How Meditation is Life-Changing

If you've ever needed that push to begin your meditation journey, here it is!

Meditation is one of those topics that I could rave about for hours and hours. The benefits have been life-changing, lasting and have reshaped my worldview. My mind feels clear, erased of prior anxiety, and stripped of the negative thoughts and outlook that weighed me down daily.

When people hear the term meditation, it can be easy to start associating it with other things like; spirituality, singing bowls, religion, crystals, or other metaphysical elements. While meditation does allow you to tap into these new realms, at first, it may be better to keep the concept simple to avoid shying away from something new. Meditation is finding mental and emotional stillness, calmness, and clarity. It's the mindful connection between your breath, body, and mind. To further debunk any stereotypical norms that cloud the true beautiful nature of meditation, you do not need to sit cross-legged in the middle of the forest to enter a meditative state! In fact, some forms of meditation do not even require you to close your eyes. Yoga can even be regarded as a form of meditation!

Tips for beginning your journey:

1. Start with guided meditations

Even after one year of meditation experience, I still find myself leaning toward using guided meditation videos. These videos vary in length and can be found on YouTube, podcast platforms, and even Apple Music and Spotify. Guided meditations allow for you to set a clear intention for your meditative practice since most of them are created purposefully. For example, in a moment when I am feeling uninspired, I would opt for a creative release meditation. Your mind is inevitably going to wander in moments of silence and stillness, so guided meditations are perfect for keeping you on track and guiding you through a healing moment.

2. Be patient with yourself and observe where you have room to grow

It is difficult to begin meditating, especially if you are completely new to the topic. In this modern age, where we have high-speed internet and fast-paced technology, stillness is actually a challenge for most people, so don't be so hard on yourself! Your brain will probably be juggling a lot of random thoughts around, and this is completely normal and okay! You can start with meditations as short as 5 minutes, then work your way up to 10, 15, 20, etc. Take notes after your meditation sessions to pinpoint what you can work on to improve your skills.

3. Focus on your breath and find your flow

Breathing is a huge part of meditation, but not just mindless breathing like we do all day; we need to take conscious breaths and observe how our body reacts to them. Our breath keeps us alive and is more powerful than you think. Introducing box breathing in the diagram, you can combat feelings of anxiety and uneasiness with this simple breathing technique.

Meditation has greatly improved the quality of my life, and I want to share this feeling of peace with everyone.

Meditation is scientifically proven to reduce stress and anxiety levels. Give yourself some silence and stillness daily to listen to yourself and allow your breath to heal your body and mind. My favorite meditation YouTubers are Pura Rasa and Rising Higher Meditation. Give it a try and observe the differences in your body, mind, and soul!