In our western culture, we rarely hear of a recommendation or prescription for using meditation, when it comes to mental and physical wellbeing. Science now shows us that a meditative practice allows us to become more mindful, and it's that mindfulness that reduces stress levels, which has a powerful effect on our lives. So powerful it can help people come off medications and find alternative ways to heal.
Meditation is available for everyone. It’s free, feels awesome and with practice, it can come easy and become available anytime. Plus it has no side effects, unlike pharmaceutical drugs. It's truly a preventable medicine that complements any therapy practice.
An introduction to meditation can be as straightforward as becoming conscious and aware on your breathing. Many accessible, smartphone applications exist that can guide you through various different meditations. Some people like a guided voice, others calm music. There is something for everyone.
Simply taking 5 to 10 minutes a day to sit with yourself and meditate, can change your internal state from stress to calm. As you become more skilled, you can increase that time, and add an intention.
Meditation is gaining more and more popularity, in the same way that yoga has over the past few decades. People perceive it as a staple in their health and wellness. Even the science community is catching up to the power of stillness! A quick search in pubmed.gov will reveal thousands of results these days.
Meditation is about finding your inner quiet, and removing that part of yourself that is always seeking stimulation and distraction. Becoming no-where, in no-time, in no-place is the sweet spot we’re looking for.
Harvard research shows that the average person is lost in thought for about 47% of the time.
This search for the present moment allows the mind and body to balance, and step into a realm of healing and repair. Rather than constant depletion.
We all have a relationship with stress, and more often than not we are not aware of the things, places, or people that make us experience the emotions of stress. For this reason, most of the popularity growth of meditation, is down to its ability to reduce stress.
Meditation doesn’t just calm the mind, it also benefits us in many ways, including:
Increasing energy, reducing blood pressure, increasing blood flow and enhancing your immune system function are just some added benefits.
We could recommend so many ways to start a meditation practice, but we want you to keep it simple.
Download a meditation app, find something that you like and go for it. Notice how it feels.
Studies show that using meditation as part of your therapy can reduce physician costs, lower sickness rates and decrease hospitalization chances significantly! It is a win win!
Keep an eye out for our Podcast with Registered Acupuncturist and Oriental Medicine Practitioner, Dayley Harper because we are going to be talking all about mindfulness and meditation. That episode comes out February 20th, sign up to our newsletter so you don’t miss out.
For more advice and tips, don't hesitate to connect with us!
Simon Brazier. Dip HN, NNCP
simon@truehope.com
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