There are many misconceptions about meditation and what it means, for example I was told as a teen that it would enable my mind to be brainwashed if I meditated, I know people who think it only occurs during yoga, and some people think it is just weird.
It took me years to learn how to meditate well, I am one of those people whose mind is always on overdrive, hard to get it to be still and relax. You really need a few minutes of meditation various times throughout the day, it improves your sanity, and brings you back to your center when life goes off kilter. If you have ever counted to ten when you were angry, or counted sheep to fall asleep, then you already know how to meditate.
For me, meditation is more of a state of mindfulness rather than mindless. If I am having a horrible amount of awful things happen I like to take 5 minutes, say the alphabet backwards to change my thinking patterns, and start thinking of my gratitude list and the kind of day I intended to have today. I also do this when I am walking and in so much pain I don’t think I can take another step, I start thinking about how lucky I am to still be able to walk, and I concentrate on my muscles working together to bring me to my destination, it will often distract me enough to get where I am going. I like to concentrate on my food this way too, how delicious it is and how it is serving as fuel for my body.
Start slow with learning to meditate, as with anything, and remove distractions. No TV, no music, turn your phone off, listen to the sounds of nature. If you live in a heavily populated area you may need music or white noise to cover the sounds of traffic, I prefer birds if I can. Close your eyes and picture things exactly as you would like them to be, concentrate on happy things, sunshine through the trees, birds singing, a burbling brook, a sandy beach, beautiful mountain vistas, etc. It may take 30 minutes or even longer the first few times, that’s OK.
Once you master meditation in quiet it gets easier to do it in a few short minutes no matter what is going on. I can close my eyes while at the gym, meditate, and maintain my count of reps at this point. The benefits are enormous, including improved outlook on life, better digestion, and less gray hair and wrinkles! As I have said before, I love my gray hair and wrinkles, to me they are badges of honor, I just want laugh lines and not frown lines! Have a great day, be good to yourself, be good to those around you.
About the author:MamaSteph has 2 kids by birth and several by love, she is a nurse and enjoys finding healthier ways to make comfort foods, gardening, enjoying nature, and living life to the fullest…For a list of her blogs please click here
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