Meditation and mindfulness are among some of the most popular topics in the health and wellness industry today. Their importance is forever increasing as we continue to live busy lives, juggling our studies, work and social life.
Meditation is the art of focusing 100% of your attention in one area and not allowing your mind to drift off to other concepts and thoughts. The practice of meditation comes with numerous benefits including but not limited to:
· Increasing concentration levels
· Decreasing anxiety
· Maintaining a general feeling of happiness
· Deeper Sleep
· Enhance awareness
Below are 5 recommendations to help you get past the initial hurdles and integrate meditation into your life for the long term.
# 1 - Set aside a specific time to meditate each day - The time you choose will be different for everyone, some people benefit by making time for their practice during the middle of their study time, allowing them to regain focus. Others find that at night before bed is a great time too.
# 2- Start with a few stretches - To loosen the muscles and tendons which will allow you to relax. Get in a comfortable position, for your ten mins of meditation, a position in which you will be able to remain focused on your practice.
# 3 - Concentrate on slow, deep breaths - To start with, as this will relax the heart rate and releases tension in the muscles, allowing the mind to focus on the breath will drain out any wandering thoughts.
# 4 - Take notice of the body and how you feel - This is a great place to start when beginning meditation as it allows you to connect your mind, body and spirit together as one.
# 5 - Listen to instructional meditation – Soundcloud, Headspace, One Giant Mind and Calm have some great meditation soundtracks and guided meditations for you to choose from.
Meditation is an absolutely wonderful practice but is a hard one to master especially if you are new to the practice, so be kind to yourself. We recommend start with just a short meditation and then slowing building it up to longer ones.