For many of us, this is a very busy and stressful time of year. Even the enjoyable aspects — spending time with family and friends, tasty meals and treats, etc, have their less desirable aspects. Sitting next to that uncle or aunt whose politics never meshed with yours, what the scale says after you’ve eaten a few too many cookies. How are you going to get through this wonderful time of year?
MEDITATE.
Meditation will help you get into a safe space, calm your mind, and release your stress and tension, letting it leave your body. It should be done in a quiet space with no interruptions, where you can let go of all the things worrying you. Here are some different ways you can benefit from meditation.
Reduced Stress
Everyone encounters stress.Some experience higher amounts of stress than others. Going through stress can affect your mental and physical health. If you’re a “Say No To Stroke!” subscriber you know stress can increase your risk of stroke. So it’s important to do what you can to reduce it as much as possible.
Meditation is a healthy and natural way to reduce your stress, and also help to prevent it in the future. You learn to relax and enter a state of serenity, where all those small things nagging at you just melt away.
Improved Concentration
Stress isn’t the only way your mind and mental state will be improved with meditation. It’s also great at improving your concentration. Meditation will train your mind to focus properly with less distraction, tuning other things and those negative thoughts out. It will even help your memory capacity. Meditation isn’t easy to do in the beginning. You’ll find yourself constantly thinking of other things. But with practice you should be able to use it not just for formal meditation sessions, but during other moments as well.
Physical Advantages
Many people discuss the emotional and mental benefits of meditation, but the physical advantages are not always mentioned. Meditation can help lower your blood pressure, particularly when stress is causing it to rise. Meditation also helps reduce blood lactate levels, which can keep away panic attacks, decrease pain from tension headaches, neck pain, and toothaches. And it’s excellent for giving your immune system a natural boost. You’ll also experience more energy when you start meditating.
Try not to feel rushed, or like you’re under a lot of pressure to get meditation “right” the first time. It will take patience and practice. Your goal is to clear your mind completely and stop all of those negative, nagging thoughts. Think of calming thoughts. Or try to think of nothing at all.
