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How To Start Meditating Today
Health | October 19, 2016
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of meditation? Do you think of people sitting cross-legged in a circle while chanting? Do you think of it as a mystical practice that seems desirable but expensive or time-consuming, something you have to study for months to learn how to do? Perhaps it even seems sinister or cult-like to you.
While meditation can involve many different practices, meditating itself is actually a pretty simple concept. It’s not about anything in particular except stopping whatever you’re doing and taking a few moments (or more) to be non-judgmentally aware of yourself and what’s all around you. Many people also call this mindfulness.
Studies have proven that meditation not only has a host of benefits, like “decreased stress, decreased depression, anxiety, pain and insomnia, and an increased quality of life”, but meditation can actually cause growth in certain areas of the brain.
In an interview with the Washington Post, Sara Lazar, a neuroscientist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School talks about a study she conducted in 2012 that examined the brains of new meditators vs. the brains of non-meditators through MRI scans. Lazar says, “We found differences in brain volume after eight weeks in five different regions in the brains of the two groups. In the group that learned meditation, we found thickening in four regions”.
In the Harvard study some of the regions of the brain that experienced growth are associated with self relevance, learning, cognition, memory, emotional regulation, perspective taking, empathy, and compassion. And that fifth area? it was the stress region of the brain, which actually shrunk. And that was just after 8 weeks of meditating for 30 minutes a day!
Even the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (the NIH,which is the US Government’s research program for non-traditional medicine and health care) says that, “research suggests that practicing meditation may reduce blood pressure, symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety and depression, and insomnia”.
If you’d like to start meditating but feel intimidated, try this easy and effective exercise I read about in the New York Times. Let’s call it: Stop Light Meditation.
Next time you’re driving somewhere and you’re stopped at a red light, take a moment be aware of your body and how well it’s working, chugging along. Relax your shoulders, neck, hands, and face (for safety please don’t shut your eyes if you’re behind the wheel). Take in your surroundings and all the lives and objects you’re currently surrounded with. Try to let your thoughts pass in and out of your mind without judgment. Breathe deeply. When the light turns green you go on with a renewed sense of purpose and peace.
I personally really enjoy guided hypnotherapy meditation tapes. When I need to work on some specific problem, I have a hypnotherapist record a customized tape to help access my subconscious mind. I listen to the tape whenever I have 20 minutes of uninterrupted time just for myself. Usually before bed time, which also helps me to fall asleep like a baby.
I also love this quick breathing meditation you can do throughout the day to keep calm. You can do it while sitting, or even standing. Exhale completely, then take a long deep breath while you count slowly to 4. Then hold your breath for 7 counts. Open your mouth slightly and press the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth right behind your teeth, then start to exhale slowly counting to 8. Repeat three to four times. You’ll notice the difference right away.
What do you think? Do you meditate? If so, when and how do you do it? Do you use an app? If you’ve never meditated before and you try this exercise, let me know what you think. Would you ever try to take this further and set aside time in your life for longer meditation?
Private Member |
i started meditating to help with my anxiety and insomnia. i am terrible at it because my monkey brain won’t shut up, so i need to use a guided meditation, something i will usually find on youtube. the hypnotherapy for insomnia that is out there does help me get to sleep. i also use an app sometimes called “calm”, which teaches mindfulness with different goals in mind. some sessions are as short as 10 minutes.
Private Member |
kraków, poland
I want to say that there are not fail meditations. If you notice you are thinking about something – that’s good! You can return to breath and continue. I’m not pro, but it helps not to be frustrated after meditation. Or just let your thoughts come in and out, just watch for them.
Private Member |
curitiba, parana, brazil
Hi Zu…I already trying meditation and it is too good and really awesome to make me more calm and focused. I used to do it sitting with crossed legs in front of our pooja (a place where we keep our idols). I used to stay minimum 5 min and I went up to 8 min. I put the timer and just stay as much as I feel comfortable. I realized the time of meditation increases as more as I practice. Few days I was more restless and I would stay less time, other days more calm and spending more time meditating. I used to be focused whole day, calm and with a peace sensation around me. Nowadays since I am practicing Yoga 3x times per week for 1h30, that is as good as a meditation and there is few minutes in the beginning and in the end where we are just laying down in total silence so that is working as meditation. On the other days I am practicing Yoga at home but not meditating. I want to go back to practice it but as the days goes I am realizing there are too many things to do and to practice and we really need to focus and need to plan the things, otherwise we keep on wishing to do many things but can not do anything properly. Anyways, nice topic. See you and take care.
Private Member |
sydney, nsw, australia
Haha! I just finished meditating before I saw this post. It’s also something I’ve become interested lately to reduce anxiety and emotional control. I’ve been trying an app called Headspace. It offers 10 days of 10 minutes of guided meditation for free. I haven’t paid for the other features yet, but I’m considering it. I’ve just been replaying the 10 minute ones. I really like how it’s guided 🙂
Private Member |
Ashley
Hi there, I did the same as you… the 10 free days of meditation on Headspace. I took the plunge and joined. I love it. There are a lot of things to choose from and you can choose how long you want to meditate for from 10 min to (I think)forty min. I really like it.
Private Member |
sydney, nsw, australia
Oh cool! Have you tried any of the meditations for ‘Sport’ or ‘Health?’ They look quite interesting.
Private Member |
Hi Ashley,
I haven’t tried those yet. I am on the “focus” one now and am enjoying it…I should try those next…
happy sunday
Angela
Private Member |
I actually love guided meditation but would love learn more about it. This is why I am going to Bali next month, to join a spiritual retreat for practising yoga and meditation in one of the most powerful place in the world… I am so looking forward…
Private Member |
kraków, poland
I’ve started reading the book “Mindfulness. A practical guide to finding peace in a frantic world” by Mark Williams, Danny Penman about a month ago. There is a 8-week program there, where you learn how to be here right now. From first day I noticed I became calmer, peaceful and maybe more happy. 🙂
This weekend I skip two days.. And I became so frustrated, unhappy, there was a mess in my head.
I think it has sense. I feel it by myself. We every day run, try to catch time for all things in our life.. But sometimes, no, we OFTEN need just to stop and to look around and to live right now, exactly this moment. Our life is not tomorrow or yesterday. Our life is going right now!
Private Member |
lake tahoe, nv, usa
I love that book! I started reading it just recently. It’s got some great insights.
Private Member |
uk
Meditation has gone mainstream in last few years. Especially mindfulness meditation. It’s absolutely everywhere. I like the book about it from Mark Williams I think its the best book on the subject. Personally i don’t like guided meditations as I find them distracting I prefer meditating on my own. My husband on the other had uses Headspace and likes it.
Private Member |
chicago, il
I use the Headspace app, as I mentioned a week or so ago when you were having a hard time sleeping….although, my biggest challenge (once I start the meditation) is that I often fall asleep! Even when I go into the meditation room at the co-working space where I run my business, middle of the day. I’ve tried it in the am, too, at home, same thing. How do you not pass out?
Private Member |
Zuzka, I would love to gift you and all ZGYM members a couple of guided mindful meditations 🙂
I am a trained teacher and have helped hundreds of women and men on how to use mindful techniques and practices to enable them to be calmer and more focused.
If you wish to contact me then please email me at hello@mindfuel.me and I can send you some 😉
Private Member |
I have not found the right method for me yet, I seem to focus on the past its hard so I’m thankful you posted about this so I can try some new ways ☺
Private Member |
Meditation helped me with my depression. I use headspace.com. I am also reading a book called ‘The Art of Happiness’ by Dalai Lama. Recommended.xx