One of the biggest and most beneficial changes I've made in the past few months is adding meditation to my daily routine. I used to be one of those people that thought meditation was sitting cross legged with my palms up chanting for some odd religious reason. It actuality, meditation is SO much more than I ever imagined! Meditation to me is a deep relaxed state where I am in complete control of myself and my thoughts. I have learned to let them come and go, and completely let my mind relax and rejuvenate itself. Its hard to take control of your thoughts when you are constantly battling them. The best way to learn how to stay positive is to learn how to let your thoughts go without fighting them, without resisting them.
When I was in my nutrition classes, one of the therapists said that he thought we should all meditate and recommended an app for us to use to learn how. I downloaded the app and let it sit on my phone for a while. Then after I had my surgery, one day I was feeling extremely stressed and the book I was reading was explaining the benefits of meditation, so I gave it a shot. I was sitting in the car waiting for my daughter to get out of school, but I had to get there about 45 minutes early so I would have a place to park. I set the app for 30 minutes and proceeded to go into a deep meditative state and every negative emotion seemed to pass through and OUT of my body. I came out feeling like I had just taken the greatest nap ever. Ever since, I try to meditate in the mornings before getting my day started.
The following is from the website Meditation Oasis
"In our day to day life, our minds are engaged in observing, discriminating, deciding, analyzing and accomplishing. Meditation allows the mind to settle down by letting go of its usual outer-directed focus. It’s like shifting the gears in a car into neutral. The mind disengages and shifts into a peaceful, silent state.
Learning to meditate is a lot like learning to ride a bicycle. Someone can show you how the bicycle works, help you to get on, but you discover how to balance, steer and move along by doing it. It comes naturally once you’ve gotten started. Your bicycle instructor doesn’t tell you exactly what to do, just how to get started. "
I really feel like meditation is the perfect way to start your day. It helps clear your mind. If you have a smart phone, I recommend the app Simply Being. It does cost 99¢ but it is well worth the dollar for guided meditation. With this app it will teach you how to meditate without fighting your thoughts or worrying about "not doing it right"
For Apple- Click Here for Apple Users
For Androids- Click Here for ANDRIOD users
If you want to try other apps from Meditation Oasis, you can check out their website. Meditation Oasis Smartphone Apps
Meditation is amazing for your physical and mental health. It helps your body relax and helps lower your blood pressure, release stress, and even calms physical pain. I think for me, the best part about meditation is realizing that I don't have to resist life, nor do I have to control it. I just let it be, and I feel a million times better.
So your job is to set up an area in your house that is quite and comfortable. Make sure it smells good too, with either a candle, incense, or flowers. Don't ever try to lay down while meditating, but get into a comfortable position and give yourself at least 15 minutes (but you can do it as short as 5) and really let yourself relax. Try to stay in a quite place, but don't worry about outside noises. Once you get the hang of meditation, its easy to tune out those other distractions. You can also use headphones if you think that might work better for you. Trust me in this, meditation is the best step in the right direction for a healthy mental well being. Try it out every morning for a week, and I promise you that you will feel much better about your day!
Peace, Love, and Relaxation
Lauren
The Happiest Woman Alive
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