If you have been struggling to achieve some sense of calm and tranquility amongst all the recent chaos and uncertainty we have been experiencing, meditation may be your answer.
Meditation is a mind and body practice that has a long history of of being used to increase calmness, physical relaxation and enhance overall wellness. Mind and body practices focus on the interactions among the brain, mind, body, and behavior. Though it takes a bit of practice to get used to, studies show that meditation can decrease stress and reduce symptoms associated with depression, anxiety, pain and insomnia, and improve one’s overall lifestyle and perspective. A major contributor to this positive shift is through the focus on mindfulness.
What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is the ability to be present, to rest in the here and now, fully engaged with whatever we’re doing in the moment. Mindfulness meditation is an active exercise that involves focusing on thoughts as they arise, and observe them without judgment. If your attention wanders, you gently return your focus to your breath. The more you practice training your attention in this way, the greater the benefits of mindfulness meditation.
A great example taken from a recent New York Times article explains: For many of us, feeling happy in the midst of a pandemic and global protests is not realistic. (In fact, you may even feel worse for not being able to attain this light positivity when you think you should). Instead, adopting a more mindfulness-based approach and accepting things for what they are tends to be more healthy, restorative, and enduring.
Mindfulness meditation has been shown to help improve attention spans and filter out distracting thoughts, improving productivity and help people feel better and more accomplished.
How to Start Meditating
Learning to meditate is like learning any other skill. It takes consistent practice to get comfortable and find a method best suited for you. There are many types of meditation, but most have four elements in common:
- a quiet location with as few distractions as possible
- a specific, comfortable posture
- a focus of attention
- and an open attitude
If you are interested in learning more about meditation, or trying it out, there are several meditation apps available to download or you can consult a local professional. If you would be interested in attending socially distanced classes and meditation workshops in our store, please contact us or comment below.