Meditation is a feel good habit that is surprisingly easy to do. It can be practiced any time and anywhere, and the benefits are immediate. Daily practice is recommended if you want to experience a greater level of self-awareness, mindful living and a happier life.
All meditation is meaningful. Whether you are a novice trying meditation for the first time, or someone who has been practicing for many years, each meditation experience teaches you something about yourself. It is scientifically proven that stress levels decrease when mindfulness is practiced regularly. Once you get into the daily habit of giving yourself quality time out you will wonder how you ever survived the daily grind without it.
As little as 10 minutes of meditation every day helps to:
- Relieve stress
- Expand self-awareness, clarity and perspective
- Reduce anxiety, depression, high blood pressure and IBS
- Develop compassion and kindness
- Release negative thought patterns
- Increase your enjoyment of life
Meditating first thing in the morning
Morning meditation creates an oasis of calm that positively impacts on your entire day. There is no need to stress about whether you are doing meditation properly. You will simply know by the immediate results.
When you meditate first thing in the morning you remove the grogginess of sleep and put yourself in a good, high vibe space. You begin your day with a sense of calm and clarity that will remain with you throughout the day.
Morning meditation also sets you up to be more mindful of your thoughts, actions and deeds. As a result, you make better choices throughout the day – this includes making better food choices! You also become more thoughtful in your approach towards other people, and this in turns creates a positive experience because you are attracting the same in return.
How to mediate every day:
To simplify your new meditation habit:
Commit to just 2 minutes of meditation every day for the first week. You are likely to find that by day 3 you’re more than happy to extend it to 5 or 10 minutes.
Choose a time that works best for you. Most people like to meditate first thing in the morning because it sets them up for the rest of the day, and like exercising at this time, it gets it out of the way. If the afternoon or evening works best for you make sure that you always have sufficient free time available.
Sit comfortably with your spine straight. Close your eyes and focus on your breath. Follow the breath through your nose and into your body. This helps to minimise distraction from random thoughts. Keep doing what you are doing and allow your body to become relaxed.
That’s all you have to do!
Same time, same place
Once you are in the rhythm of practicing mindfulness meditation regularly it is a good idea to commit to the same time and the same place. In this way you are taking an active role in your daily wellbeing.
If morning meditation works for you, commit to this practice every morning for the next 3 months. It takes 66 days to form a habit and to accept it as part of your lifestyle. Ten minutes of meditation practice every morning means that you will enjoy 660 minutes of quality time out.
Expanding your daily practice
Meditation can be practiced in a variety of meaningful ways. Once you are able to comfortably get into your meditation/mindful relaxation zone for 10-15 minutes every day you can expand your practice in other ways.
Walking meditation is a great way to fully connect with nature. As you walk you pay attention to your breath and to the sensations of your body.
Mindful eating allows you to really savour the tastes and flavours of your food.
You can also create a mindful ritual out of any daily practice. Exercising, making and drinking tea, washing the dishes or bathing, are all excellent choices for expanding your meaningful meditation practice.
