Meditation And Why It’s So Beneficial For Health

Caring for ourselves during the new and daunting times that we find ourselves in can be a challenging task. From coping with the lockdown, to the sudden change in lifestyle, finding the time to practice self-care and meditation during the time of Coronavirus is important, more so than ever before.

As this respiratory disease that originated in a wet market in the Chinese city of Wuhan has spread to all corners of the world, taking the time out of our lives to calm any rising fears and anxieties can help to make the next few months as pain free as possible. 

From the lack of a social life, to the inability to freely roam and walk where you desire, to the constant feeling of entrapment and isolation, there are many benefits of mediation for health. Such benefits, all of which are essential and should be incorporated into our routine, helping to uplift us and motivate us in these dark and lonely times.

We aim in this blog to educate you on what meditation is and the many benefits that practising daily can have on your health.

Keep reading to discover the benefits of meditation on health for yourself and make a conscious step to change your life for the better. 

What is meditation? 

When it comes to personal health and wellbeing, many professionals within the industry will recommend the daily completion of meditation.

For those who are unfamiliar with meditation and are unsure of the idea of this practice, meditation is more powerful and beneficial than you would originally think.

The time that you take out of your routine spent meditating is used to help train your brain, creating a higher sense of awareness and perspective of experiences that you witness in your everyday life. By learning how to correctly deal with experiences, whether negative or positive, you can along with understanding them better, deal with such experiences in a more positive healthier way. In turn, helping to improve your mental health and overall happiness. 

A skill that needs time to development, when it comes to meditating, you will often experience restlessness due to the brain being unable to stop whirling and thinking. This will develop over time and will become silent and still the more you meditate and practice. 

How to meditate? 

With a number of different ways to meditate, finding a method that works for you is key to making the most out of your meditation time. 

Luckily, when it comes to the benefits of meditation on health and learning to meditate during our time in lockdown during Coronavirus, there are many apps and useful websites that can help you to discover and develop your skills.

From Headspace to Calm, there are a large range of meditation apps at a selection of prices that you can trial and use.  

If using an app on your mobile phone or tablet does not appeal to you, then do not fear, as there are a few basic meditation practices that you can do, helping you to meditate for yourself. 

Meditating by yourself:

1- Get comfortable

Start in a comfortable position, this can be sitting straight against a wall, on a bolster or lying flat on your bed. Be prepared to be still in the same position for a few minutes.

2- Focus on your breathing

When meditating, focus on your breathing. Where are you witnessing the breathing in and out of your breath the most? Some people find breathing in for three counts and out for three as a great way to focus, while calming and slowing their overactive brain.

3- Don’t resist any thoughts

When meditating, you may find that you start generating thoughts, and that these thoughts will develop and run away with themselves. The key to a successful session is to acknowledge these thoughts, analyse why they are there and slowly bring your attention back to the breath. 

how-meditation-can-help-ease-stress-during-coronavirus

Benefits of meditation on health? 

We have covered what meditation is and how you too can begin to meditate for the first time, but why should you meditate? What are the benefits of meditation for the health?

Here are some of the benefits of meditation, proving that these few minutes that you take out of your routine can have a huge impact on your overall health.

Reduced Stress 

One of the most popular reasons why people turn to mediation, regular completion of meditation has found to instantly lower stress levels both mental and physical. Taking the time to meditate, along with lowering the stress hormone that is cortisol, it can also reduce stress-related symptoms which include fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndrome.

Sharper Focus 

Daily meditation can over time sharpen and hone the way in which your brain works. By changing the way in which your brain functions, you can find yourself experiencing clearer thoughts and be able to focus for longer on the task at hand. 

Research also has discovered that employees that meditate regularly are able to remember key details of their task better than colleagues that do not meditate. Proof that meditation could help improve your focus and performance when at work. 

Happier Outlook 

Meditation is all about emotional health and learning to let go of experiences that cannot be changed. By taking the time to frequently meditate, you could see an improvement in your overall mood and health. Along with being more happy and positive, meditation has also been found to reduce depression and the inflammatory chemical cytokines that are caused by stress that can overtime lead to depression. 

Less Anxious

Another benefit to meditation and that can be seen in its ability to control anxiety. Through being able to lower stress levels and to reduce any depression, the power of meditation can also be seen in reducing anxiety and their levels which they experience in the long term. Along with meditation, yoga has also been found through research to reduce anxiety levels from both the physical activity but also the meditation and the power of breathing that it involves. 

Improved Compassion 

A recognised benefit of meditation and one that can be experienced and that is the improved levels of kindness that can be presented both to yourself but also to others. Through the training and the learning to present only kind, caring thoughts to yourself, this learning can often be seen outside being shared with others. Long-term use of meditation can improve our compassion to others and make us more aware of our overall actions. 

Discover Self-Awareness

Another key benefit of meditation on health and that is its ability to improve our self-awareness. By taking the time to discover a stronger understanding of yourself, you can develop and become the best person you can be. By discovering your true self, you can change the way you interact with others around you. This development can also banish harmful and negative thoughts, creating a healthier and positive you. 

While these key benefits of meditation should be inspiring enough to get you taking time out of your routine to start meditating, there are more benefits discovered by research can be experienced through the addition of meditation into your life.

From an improved sleep experience, weight loss, pain reduction to increased relationships, there is little that meditation can not do. 

Conclusion

There you have it, the many fantastic reasons why you too should start meditating today.

Along with helping to calm any stress that you may be experiencing surrounding the growing epidemic that is Coronavirus, to the calming and focusing of your mind as you continue to remote work. Meditation can help.

A new and unfamiliar experience for us all, by taking the time out of your routine to practice self care, you can emerge from lockdown a healthier and happier person.

We would love to hear your thoughts and to discover your first hand experience of meditating for yourself. Did you feel instantly calmer and did you notice any positives in the way you approached stressful situations?

Comment below and share your thoughts and experiences with us here at UK Lifestyle Buzz.

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