Happy Thursday! It’s hard to believe we are in (almost to the end of) week 4 of the Spring to Summer 6 Week Wellness Challenge. For the past two months, we’ve focused on a new health and wellness topic to provide you with some helpful knowledge and inspiration. The goal was to keep you motivated to achieve your summer fitness/health goals leading up to Memorial Day Weekend. Last week, I shared my fitness regime, why CrossFit is my preferred method of training and challenged all of you to do 30 minutes of physical activity every day. I also challenged you to try a new workout that you’ve never done before, which I managed to do! Honestly, there were some days that I wasn’t feeling a workout, but it felt terrific afterward and I was always really proud that I pushed through. I am excited to hear how all of you did last week, so make sure to send me your progress!
What Is Meditation?
This week I want to shift the focus a bit and share a different approach to training. I am referring to the practice of meditation and training the mind. I know there are different stereotypical pictures painted about what meditation has to look like: a person needs to be sitting in a cross-legged position, on the floor, surrounded by candles, with their thumbs and index fingers pressed together and resting on their knees. This is not always how it works unless that is your preferred method for your meditation practice. So what is meditation? Meditation isn’t about becoming a different person, a new person, or even a better person. It is about training your mind in awareness and getting a healthy sense of perspective. During a meditation practice, you are not trying to turn your thoughts off; instead, you’re learning to observe them without judgment. You are mindful of your thoughts and may start to understand your thoughts better as well.
What Is Mindfulness?
Now, you may be wondering what mindfulness is? Well, mindfulness is the ability to be present, to rest in the here and now, fully engaged with whatever we’re doing in the moment. If you’re like me, and your mind is continuously running a mile a minute, this task proves to be difficult for me at times. But, learning to be more mindful and present in the moment, has overall improved my quality of life. It’s all about knowing when to turn off those outside thoughts and focus on what’s right in front of you. But, no matter how much we talk about it, read about it or study it, putting mindfulness practice into practice can be challenging, I know. Sometimes all we need is a simple road map to get us started with your practice, which is why I am sharing five meditation tips and techniques for beginners, the benefits of practicing meditation and how to meditate, helping you figure out what meditation practice will work best for you! Scroll down to learn more about meditation:
Meditation Techniques
Breathing Meditation:
This is how I started meditation. Simply watch your breath and give your mind something to focus on in a relaxed way. Begin by getting yourself into a comfortable position, close your eyes and begin to observe the sensations of breathing. Pay attention to how it feels as you take a deep breath in through your nose and back out through your mouth. You don’t need to control or force your breath. Just watch and be mindful of your breathing. If the mind wanders, don’t worry, just direct your attention back to the breathing and continue.
Mindfulness Meditation:
This type of meditation allows you to be fully present in the moment by bringing your attention to the sensations within your body. Start by focusing on your breath and then let yourself to become aware of other sensations – how you’re sitting, when you feel tension or tingling sensations. The goal is to observe.
Walking Meditation:
This type of meditation is one of my favorites. There are days when sitting still for too long just isn’t for me, so the walking meditation technique is my go-to. You can do this just about anywhere – walk around a garden or other pleasing environments. Simply focus on your body and the way it moves: your arms as they swing, your legs as they lift and extend, and your feet as they hit the ground. You may find your mind wandering, but gently bring your attention back to the movement and observe the sensations of walking.
Use A Guided Meditation App:
Who says you have to do this entirely on your own? If you don’t feel like you’re quite there yet and want some help, I recommend downloading a meditation app. Some of my favorites are Head Space and Simple Habit. These apps allow you to chose the length of time for your meditation or select the perfect practice that fit your needs for that moment. I love the Sleeping Meditation on the Simple Habit app if I am a bit stressed or anxious before bed. It puts me to sleep instantly and helps to relax my entire body.
Begin Your Practice With These Helpful Tips:
Start Small With 3-5 Minutes (Or Less) Of Meditation:
Meditation doesn’t have to take long unless your Gisele Bündchen and prefer to meditate over a period of 24-hours. You can meditate for short periods of time and get comfortable with the idea of becoming mindful during your meditation practice. It should be easily attainable and create absolutely no pushback from your mind. Establishing the habit of meditation is much more important than focusing on the length of time you spend meditating. The more your practice, the more comfortable you will get and then you can consider increasing your meditation practice.
Try To Meditate First Thing In The Morning:
When creating this wellness challenge, I set out to help us develop realistic goals and make new habits that would only help to improve our quality of life. I know you might say, “I’ll meditate every day”, after reading this post. But it’s one thing to say you’re going to meditation, and then actually taking the time do it. A way to make a habit out of meditation is to set a reminder to meditate each morning. Take 2-3 minutes to yourself to focus on your breath and free your mind of the tasks you need to accomplish that day. Be in the moment and aware of your body.
Do Meditation Your Way:
Your practice is all about you and what feels best for you in the moment. Most people worry about where to sit, how to sit, what they should or shouldn’t be thinking about. While this can be important, it’s not the most crucial aspect when starting a meditation. The one important thing to focus on is making sure that you are comfortable and happy with your practice. It’s meditation practice, not meditation perfect. There’s no such thing as a perfect meditation. Sometimes your focus will wander or you’ll forget to follow your breath. That’s OK! It’s part of the experience. My number one tip for meditation and the one thing that has helped me is to meditate consistently. Its one of those things where the journey is more important than the destination. The beauty and simplicity of meditation is that you don’t need any fancy equipment. All that’s required is a quiet space and a few minutes each day.
12 Science-Based Benefits Of Meditation:
We have all heard that “meditation is good for you,” but good in what terms? People use this habitual practice to develop a positive mood and outlook, self-discipline, and even healthy sleep patterns. But there is so much more to meditation that I know will surprise you. Harvard Health even published a study stating how regular meditation is more beneficial than taking a vacation. They also released a study about how mindfulness meditation may ease anxiety and mental health. How fascinating is that?! Below, I have included additional benefits of meditation that I know you will want to hear:
- Reduces stress
- Improve sleep
- Controls anxiety
- Lower blood pressure
- Lower heart rate
- Deeper relaxation
- Meditation can fight acne and help with the anti-aging process
- It boosts your immune system
- Improves self-acceptance
- Improves your relationships
- Enhances your creativity
- Pain relief
There are so many more benefits to meditation! But as you can see from the list above, there are so many life-changing benefits to meditating.
Week 4 Challenge: Try practicing meditation for 2-3 minutes each day and become more mindful of your body and breath.
I know meditation may be very new to some of you, which is why I think it’s important to try something new and step out of your comfort zone. I was a bit apprehensive about meditation before I started it, but once I began to practice meditation habitually, I was hooked on it. Below I have included a simple guided meditation for beginners that will help you start your first day of meditation!
Suggestions – How To Meditate:
- Sit or lie comfortably.
- Close your eyes
- Make no effort to control the breath – simply focus on your natural breath
- Take a moment to recognize how your body is moving and observe your breath. If the mind wanders, focus your attention back to your breathing.
You can implement any of the meditation techniques, that I mentioned above, in this simple ‘How To Meditate” practice. Again, this is your own practice, so be sure to do what feels right for you and your body to ultimately achieve the desired result. I really hope you enjoyed this post! See you next week for week 6 of the #LFLWellness6 Challenge!
Love,
Liv
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