What is meditation and why do I need it?
If you’re like me, the first time someone told you to try meditation-- you rolled your eyes and thought “yeah, right.” I used to think it was pointless, that I had better things to do with my time and that lying on the ground was NOT going to solve my life problems.
Then, I found out more about what meditation actually is. By definition, “meditation is a practice where an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing their mind on a particular object, thought or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state.” Sooo.. what does that mean? In simple terms, meditation is really just being at peace with ourselves in a quiet place. Although it may not seem like laying with your thoughts in a quiet safe place would help, surprisingly it can-- and especially when done regularly.
Actually, regular meditation has been proven to reduce stress and anxiety, enhance self awareness (this is huge), lengthen attention span, reduce age-related memory loss, help battle addictions and increase your sense of empathy (the ability to understand and share the feelings of another).
Meditation also doesn’t have to be a grueling, hour a day commitment. There are apps that you can download on your phone (my favorites are Insight Timer and Simple Habit) that actually take you through guided meditations, so you don’t have to lay there on your own wondering if you’re doing it right. Some of these guided meditations are only five minutes!! We all have five minutes a day we can spare whether its before bed, when we wake up or in the middle of lunch.
Next time you are feeling overwhelmed or like you need to reconnect your body and mind, find a quiet place, grab a blanket and give it a try.
