3 Keys to Meditation:
Be comfortable – Don’t let all the marketing sway you. Find somewhere to sit or lay where you can relax and be comfortable.
Don’t fight thoughts – Let thoughts happen. They will. That’s the way you’re designed. Just don’t follow them; let them drift away.
Start small – Start with 5 or 10 minutes and work your way up to 20.
Be Efficient:
3 Deep Breaths – Find your comfortable place, then trigger the mind into relaxing by taking three deep breaths. Repeat So Hum and allow the So to come on the inhale and the Hum to come on the exhale.
Extra space – Give yourself a few minutes after meditation to just sit there. Wait to pick up your phone or start on your next to-do. Let the meditation effects settle in, then move on with your day.
Meditation Benefits
- Lowers heart rate and blood pressure
- Can stall the and reverse the effects of aging
- Lowers anxiety and stress
- Improves sleep
- Strengthens memory retention and focus
- Heightened self-awareness (happiness)
Meditation Effects
Meditation changes the chemistry of the brain. Theta waves more aligned with the rest and digest mode (parasympathetic nervous system) move to the frontal lobe and alpha waves, more aligned with activity move the the back of the brain. This helps create a state of heightened creativity, more effective memorization, and creative problem solving.
Building the habit
Same time – begin creating your meditation practice by sitting at the same time each day.
Same place – try to practice in the same physical place or one that mimics your standard location.
Trigger – I know. I know. Enough of this nueral pathway stuff, right? But, it does work. Try meditating before or after another habit that you already have. Meditate directly after you brush your teeth or while the coffee is brewing.
Resources
Ambient music from Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJXPj-hwpyI
True Wireless stereo speakers on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Ee8eQ6
Ten Day Silent retreats (Vipassana Meditation): http://www.dhamma.org/en-US/courses/search
Don’t forget to claim your $10 off Open Meditation at Village Wellness!
