If stress has you anxious, tense and worried, consider trying meditation. Spending even a few minutes in meditation can restore you to a state of balance. Even a 3-5 minute respite can help re-energize and help get your day back on the right track.
Anyone can participate in meditation. It's simple and cheap. All you need is YOU! You can meditate wherever you are. Even sitting in the middle of a crazy meeting, when you are out on a walk, or waiting in line at the store.
Meditation is considered a type of mind-body-spirit connection. Meditation tries to produce a deep state of relaxation and a tranquil mind. The focus is to take a jumbled brain, a fatigued body and spirit and focus them to aid in rest and rejuvenation. Meditation can give you a sense of calm, peace and balance. The best part is these benefits don't end when you stop the meditation. When you meditate, it is your body’s way of clearing out all the extraneous clutter.
The emotional benefits of meditation are numerous. Gaining a new perspective on stressful situations allows you to refocus your energies and build self awareness. It allows us to focus on the present, reduce negative emotions and have a clear thorough process. This can help to alleviate, not only stress from our day, but also depression, fatigue, high blood pressure and sleep issues, to name a few.
There are many forms of meditation that can be short or long, active or passive. Each one has its own technique and can be better suited for different individuals, but all work on helping to give an outlet for stress.
Some of the most common forms of meditation are:
Mantra meditation is the type of meditation where you silently repeat a word that has no emotional effect on you. Like a color or object. Just keep repeating this word as you exhale; this helps to remove any distracting thoughts. This can also be done sitting, lying or while taking a walk.
Guided meditation, also called guided imagery or visualization, form a mental picture of something you find relaxing. Try to incorporate as many of your senses as possible, focus on really being in the image. Often times this is done with an instructor but can be done alone in a restful position or while taking a walk.
Yoga is one of the most popular forms of meditation offered today. By performing a series of postures and controlled breathing exercises you promote a more flexible body and a calm mind. It is guided by an instructor to take you through a series of specific poses that require balance and concentration. This allows you to disengage form you busy life and spend a period of time focusing on the moment.
Tai Chi is a form of gentle Chinese martial arts, which also combines movement with the breathing and mental clearing. Tai Chi, is a self-paced practice of movement in a slow, graceful manner while practicing deep breathing.
Qi gong moves more into combining movement with the mental activity. This practice combines meditation, relaxation, physical movement and breathing exercises to restore and maintain balance. Qi gong is taught by an instructor and is part of traditional Chinese medicine.
Different types of meditation may include different features to help you meditate. In all of these paths to relaxation it is important to do what is best for you. Don’t stress out because you think you are doing it wrong, that just adds more stress. We are all individuals’ and different forms of meditation will suit each individual differently. To ensure the most successful meditation make it your own. Focus your attention and limit distractions. Focuses on your breathing, make it purposeful. Find a quiet setting where your will not be barraged by external stimuli and get into a comfortable position whether sitting, lying or walking (or even running).
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