Benefits of Meditation
There are so many reasons to meditate. Meditation has truly improved my life! Below are some of the benefits you may reap by starting and sticking with meditation.
- Reduce Stress
- Control Anxiety
- Deeper Relaxation
- Generate Kindness
- Promote Emotional Health
- Enhance Self-Awareness
- Lengthen Attention Span
- Reduce Blood Cortisol Levels
- Lower Heart Rate
- Lower Blood Pressure
- Slow Respiratory Rate
- Increase Feelings of Well-Being
- Improve Blood Circulation
- Improve Sleep
- May Reduce Age-Related Memory Loss
- Possibly Help Fight Addictions
- May help manage symptoms of asthma, anxiety, cancer, chronic pain, depression, heart disease, IBS, sleep problems, and tension headaches.
Why I Chose Meditation
Before I started meditating, I was getting very little sleep. Ever since I was a child, it would take me hours to fall asleep. I remember my mother putting me to bed at 8pm and checking in on me at 11pm to find me wide awake. She would tell me that I had to get to sleep so I don’t fall asleep at school. I would tell her that I just couldn’t fall asleep.
This routine of going to bed and lying there for hours continued into my thirties. Once I got into my mid to late thirties, the lack of sleep was really catching up with me. My ability to go, go, go had disappeared. I was getting an average of 3-4 hours of sleep per night. The struggle to stay awake worsened every day. I would typically come home from work, fall asleep on the couch and not want to get up. The need to make supper, clean the house, and get my lesson plans ready for the next day seemed way too daunting.
Something had to be done!
My Experience with Meditation
After trying SO many things to try to improve my sleep, I decided to give meditation a try. Couldn’t hurt, right? First, I tried a deep relaxation meditation before bed. Sleep came fast and was better than I ever experienced before. That was the first night in my entire life that I fell asleep within 30 minutes of getting into bed. I couldn’t believe it! I woke up the next day feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day. Despite figuring it was just a fluke, I tried it again the next night and got the same results!
I have a nightly routine of listening to a guided meditation or going through a breathing exercise. When I finish with that, I put an eye-mask on and earplugs in. The eye-mask and earplugs are quite helpful in minimizing distractions while I’m sleeping. Occasionally, I will substitute the earplugs with a relaxation sound/music app or video to keep me asleep.
With the great results I achieved in my sleep schedule, I have included meditation throughout my day. It helps me focus on tasks, relax, and relieve anxiety. Another great thing about meditation is that you can do it for FREE!
You Just Have to Get Started
When I knew I wanted to get into meditation, I have to admit that I was a little intimidated. I just wasn’t really sure where to start. It was quite helpful to start with guided meditations available online or through an app on my phone. There are so many free (and cheap) apps available to help you get started. Most of the apps are free to use with the option to unlock more meditations. I have found the free meditations to be more than sufficient. I also enjoy using so many of the videos available online. It doesn’t matter what you use, the important thing it to simply start.
Free Ways to Meditate
- Breathe deeply focusing on the air coming in and going out
- Scan your body focusing on relaxing each muscle group in your body from top to bottom
- Repeat a mantra
- Walking meditation
- Evaluate your energy
- Practice gratitude
- Reflect on you day, week. etc.
- Mindfulness – focus on the here and now
- Guided meditations through a free app or YouTube video
Low-Cost Options (potentially free with research and practice)
- Guided meditation classes
- Tai Chi
- Qi Gong
- Yoga
Don’t Give Up!
Lastly, I would like to add is that it takes a while to really be able to stop your mind from wandering off during meditation. Don’t worry if other thoughts and distractions present themselves, just put them aside and continue with the meditation. This is completely normal! I still find myself distracted every now and then. It will become less frequent and easier the more you get into meditating. The key is ENJOYING THE MOMENT!