Meditation is the practice of training your mind to concentrate and redirect your thoughts. Meditation is part of everyday life now and has boomed in popularity (especially during these COVID-19 times).
Besides being super-trendy, meditation can significantly improve your mental wellbeing.
Why it works
Meditation is all about slowing down, taking a moment, and realigning your mindset. Think of it as a mini reset each time you’re overwhelmed, stressed or anxious. Forcing yourself to STOP and go through your meditation practice can help you achieve a sense of calm, peace, and balance.
Wouldn’t it be great to stay calm even on a deadline, in traffic or when you’re just having an icky day? Say yes to meditation!
Reduced anxiety
Regular meditation has a great reputation for helping to reduce anxiety. Carve out a few minutes each day to start practising. With consistent meditation, you can minimise your anxiety and improve stress reactivity and coping abilities.
Enhanced emotional wellbeing
Meditation may be able to help with depression and negative, spiralling thoughts. Meditation makes you aware of these thoughts and pushes you to find clarity. But if you are suffering from depression, please do seek medical assistance. Meditation can help, not fully manage the issue.
Improved self-awareness
We all want to be enlightened, right? Meditation brings a lot of self-inquiry to the fore and challenges you to get to know yourself. This can serve as a springboard for other positive changes. Several types of meditation can also help you improve your ability to focus and redirect your attention.
Prevention of age-related memory loss
Regular meditation can help you focus better, which can boost memory and mental clarity and help fight against age-related memory loss and dementia.
Being able to generate kindness
Metta meditation is a type of Buddhist meditation that inspires positive feelings toward yourself and others. Metta is about improving your outlook on life, fostering empathy and compassion for others.
Fighting against addiction
Meditation improves mental awareness and can help control unwanted impulses. For those recovering from addictions, meditation can be an invaluable tool in redirecting cravings and other unhealthy habits.
Improved sleep quality
Try five minutes of meditation just before you head to bed. It can make all the difference in calming your body and mind. Many insomnia sufferers find that meditation can reduce the time it takes to fall asleep and increase the amount of sleep you get.
Start here
- Guided meditation or visualisation involves creating mental images of places or situations that you find relaxing. This is done by engaging all your senses, like smell, sight, sound, and texture. A teacher or guide may accompany you through this process.
- To avoid distracting thoughts, mantra meditation involves silently repeating a calming word, thought, or phrase. A consistent prayer can be a form of mantra meditation.
- Being mindful or having a bigger awareness and acceptance of living in the present moment, is the foundation of mindful meditation. Concentrate on what you're feeling. Observe your thoughts and emotions but don’t judge. Just let them come and go.
- To restore and maintain balance, qi gong typically combines meditation, relaxation, movement, and breathing exercises. Traditional Chinese medicine includes qi gong (CHEE-gung).
- Tai chi is a gentle form of Chinese martial arts. You go through a self-paced series of postures or movements in a slow, graceful manner while practising deep breathing in tai chi (TIE-CHEE).
- Yoga is popular for good reason. You're encouraged to focus less on your busy day and more on the present moment as you move through poses that require balance and concentration. You perform a series of postures and controlled breathing exercises to promote a more flexible body and a calm mind.
Disclaimer
This article is for informational purposes only. Always check with your doctor or medical practitioner about any health concerns, before embarking on any fitness or nutrition programme, and usage of any medication.