Meditation
Meditation has bazillions (real number) of health benefits backed by gamillions (also real number) of studies done by pashrillions (my last math class was in high school) of doctors and scientists. Seriously, it’s not just sitting cross legged and doing nothing it is training your mind to be harder, better, faster, and stronger. Meditation has proven to reduce stress, improve concentration, increase self-awareness, and up the likelihood of you being a happier human. It is a real health priority and to boot it’s FREE you CHEAPSKATES!!! So make a small adjustment for room in your schedule because it doesn’t take much to start seeing the benefits. YOU HAVE THE TIME!
But Julia I need more reasons! The best ones! Dance monkey!!! Ok here we go…
- Meditation benefits your cardiovascular and immune health. The relaxing qualities cause blood vessels to open up and therefore your blood pressure to drop. Your serotonin levels also increase which activate the “rest” part of your nervous system. This allows your body to calm the fuck down!
- Meditation preserves your aging brain. It’s only downhill from here folks so work on that brain. A recent study from UCLA found that those that have been meditating for 20 years had more grey matter throughout the brain than those who did not. It’ll be up to you to retain your dignity in the living center when you’re 91 by being witty. Scrabble doesn’t play itself!!!!
- Meditation aids with depression and anxiety. 163 studies found that mindfulness-meditation practice had a positive effect on stress and anxiety. And you know what? It never hurt anyone. Scientists call DMN or Default Mode Network “monkey mind”. This is when your mind is wandering from thought to thought which if you haven’t noticed, makes people in general less happy. When we start to ruminate and worry about the past and future, meditation training helps you snap out of it faster and stay in the present moment more regularly. Who’s got two thumbs up and a bucket of tears and is ready to get rid of all that unwarranted stress?!?!? ME! ME! ME!
- Meditation improves relationships. TRUTH! It helps you see the bigger picture and helps you ignore those petty issues more often. Taking the time to calm your mind increases your listening skills and empathy. We are a few om’s away from a magical kumbaya circle you guys.
BUT HOW DO I START?!?!?!? First, shave your head.
If you want a guided meditation I LOVE Headspace. It’s only ten minutes a day and Andy Puddicombe really lays the proper technique out for you. I also like Calm. They have relaxing backgrounds to whisk you away if you’re not so keen on closing your eyes. Also, find a local yoga studio or meditation center that offers guided meditation. Sometimes getting out of the house and having a place to go and rest your thoughts is helpful.
If you want to start a practice at home, begin by taking it slow and don’t worry if you are
“doing it right.” Find a quiet space in your home and sit in a chair or on the floor. Set a timer for 5 minutes the first few times and just let your eyes gently close and focus on your breath. If any thoughts begin to pop up simply acknowledge and then go back to listening to your breath. Andy Puddicombe of Headspace has a great analogy about cars. Imagine you are sitting on the side of the road watching the cars pass. You may see one fancy car and start to follow it down the street (that is your mind wandering) but let it go and gently fall back into watching the cars as they pass in front of you.
What have you got to lose? Try it friends. It’s the cat’s meow!
Om-ing and feeling wiser, Julia