The Benefits of Meditative Living!
As more people add meditation to their daily lives, the more these routines will help them experience positive benefits.
Studies have shown that meditating frequently improves sleep, enhances brain function, and reduces overall anxiety. Many people are interested in the benefits of meditation but hesitate to put it into action because they do not think that they have enough time to dedicate to it. There are many different forms of meditation, including techniques that can be done in just a few minutes while taking a walk or completing a household chore. Even people with super busy schedules can integrate a daily meditation practice into their routines. Follow these simple tips to include meditation into your busy schedule.
Walking Meditation
Is your schedule packed with too many things? Perhaps it is time to carve out some time to meditate while walking. Yes, this is a real thing, and it is not that difficult to do either. The theory is to merge walking with meditation and works best in a peaceful place like a trail, park, or anywhere in the calmness of mother nature; this can work indoors too. Things to notice during the meditational walk are calming the mind enough to feel each foot move and at what pace, notice your breath, your heart, your arm strides, how many people are around you, the air. This meditation can heighten your intuition so all senses will be operating at a higher level and if not at first, it will be after practice. Walking meditation is an advantageous mind-body practice that can increase your total welfare while decreasing anxiety, stress, depression, or anything else that may be of a challenge to you.
Mindful Minute(s)
Consider practicing mindfulness instead of spending time with people who may stress you out or even participating in too much social media. Sit quietly, close your eyes if possible, and focus on breathing deeply for about a minute (put on a timer if that helps you and just be). Be cognizant of the physical sensations that are occurring within your body. Notice how your breath, muscles, and brain feels. Pay attention to the areas that are warm, hot and cold. Listen to the sounds that are going on around and within you. Take out a journal and write down the sensations, so that you can understand the triggers that stress you out vs. those that relax you.
Meditative Body Scan
Before falling asleep, try to fit a nighttime meditative practice into your routine, this can improve your overall sleep quality. Use this body scan technique while lying down in bed at night. Give it a try:
· To start, lay in a comfortable position, take two to four deep breathes in and blow them out and repeat, then slowly do a body scan.
· Begin at the feet and work your way up to the top of your head. While at your feet start relaxing your toes, especially if they feel hard or stiff. Soften your muscles as you make your way up your body paying close attention to any sensations that you may experience. Notice if you are clenching any muscles and try to loosen the hold on them if you realize that you are. Go as slowly as you can to relax your body and mind during this body scan. Moving at a slow pace may help you fall asleep faster.
Meditation Throughout the Day
Taking a few moments throughout the certain parts of the day to meditate is an effective way to fit meditation easily and comfortably into your life. Transitional moments are when you shift from one phase of your day to another. An example would be, meditating in the morning before jumping into work, after lunch or before going to sleep. When it is time to switch from one of these phases, set aside a few minutes to sit with your eyes closed, breathe deeply, and allow yourself to be mindful of your thoughts and feelings. Listen for the sound of your heartbeat and if it is going fast, slow it down with your mind.
Conclusion
The addition of meditation to your life is quite beneficial to living a happy and healthy life; especially when it comes to helping one to fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night. Isn’t it time you give it a try?
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Reference:
Two-month breathing-based walking improves anxiety, depression, dyspnoea and quality of life in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A randomised controlled study - PubMed (nih.gov)
Meditative Therapies for Reducing Anxiety: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3718554/
