April is National Stress Awareness Month and it’s the perfect time to get started with regular meditation practice.
For me personally, meditation changed my life. I was a constant worrier with a Type-A personality, and was suffering with various different health issues. Meditation not only helped me reduce stress, cultivate inner peace, and restore a sense of calm, but it also healed me physically. After I started meditating, I soon realized that most of my health issues were related to stress and anxiety.
It doesn’t matter what your religious or spiritual beliefs are, meditation can be practiced by anyone. It’s simply a way to focus our attention and awareness inwards. By doing this, we alleviate stress, and acquire more peace and balance in our lives. The best part of all is you only have to spend a few minutes a day to begin. So, let’s get started!
One of the most common issues people face is that they can’t slow down their minds or quiet their thoughts. I commonly hear, “the mind chatter doesn’t stop.” When you meditate, you should never be concerned with clearing your mind. The thoughts will come and go; this is perfectly normal. You just want to avoid becoming attached to those thoughts. When your mind drifts to thoughts, emotions, or noises in the environment, gently bring it back to your breath or mantra. Meditation is not about forcing your mind to be quiet; instead, it’s a process to rediscover the quietness that already exists.
When beginning, start small. During week 1, set a timer for 3 minutes and practice every day - if possible, at the same time every day. This is how we form habits. When this becomes too easy, increase the time by 3 minutes.
Begin by following your breath. Focus on the sensation of your breath, breathing in and out. When your mind begins to wander just bring your attention back to your breath. It really is that simple!
Another tip for when you first begin to meditate is to let go of expectation! Every meditation experience will be different. There is no such thing as a bad meditation. Even if your meditation is filled with mind chatter, you’ll still benefit from it.
Meditation requires discipline, but it will produce immense benefits in your daily life as you incorporate it. Continue to make it a part of your daily routine, and you will notice the benefits. These include improved health and decreased stress levels; you’ll become more relaxed, perceptive, and creative.
If you’re interested in group meditation classes, would like to do a session for your employees, or have me come out a speak at one of your functions, please feel free to email at wendy@wendydemer.com
Until next time…