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Yoga and meditation are two practices that go hand in hand. Even if you have only dipped your toe into the yoga pond for a single session, then the chances are this will have incorporated at least a short period of meditation. You will therefore already know how beneficial this is!
There are many benefits of meditation for the mind, and you certainly don’t have to be a yogi in order to meditate!
Whether you choose to meditate on your own, or to participate in a group meditation, the advantages of doing so in terms of your mental health are not to be overlooked. Even finding just five minutes each day to meditate can help you to slow down, process your day and alleviate any negative emotions and feelings that may be present.
Stress Relief
Giving yourself permission to focus only on the present moment by embracing a moment or more of meditation is an amazing way to combat stress.
Studies have shown that meditating can change the way that your brain and body respond to stress. This has an incredible knock-on effect on how prone to depression you are, as well as helping you to maintain a more positive disposition.
The science behind this potential for changing the response to stress is that meditation affects the parasympathetic nervous system. This is the system within the body which is responsible for releasing hormones and controlling the heart rate.
Mindfulness
Being able to train your mind to live in the present moment is beneficial for many reasons. First of all it can better enable you to know yourself, as you will become more aware of the things that you think and feel. You will turn auto-pilot off and act with intention.
Secondly, it can help to turn the volume down on those thoughts and feelings that you didn’t invite in in the first place. This means you can pay attention to those things that will actually serve to enhance your happiness.
Additionally, mindfulness can increase your self-awareness and improve your attention span, helping to boost your productivity – whatever that means to you!
Alleviating Anxiety
Meditating has been shown to alleviate symptoms of anxiety, and can help to create a calmer and more peaceful mindset.
People who struggle with anxiety disorders often turn to medication in order to help them manage their condition. However, it is being increasingly shown that meditation could be a much more natural way to treat the issue. Meditation and anti-anxiety medication can also be used in conjunction in order to enhance the relief sought.
Ready to Meditate?
Whether you are freshly inspired to give meditation a try after reading this article, or you had already been thinking about it for a while, then there is no reason that today can’t be the day you get started.
You can click here to browse our range of activewear to find something comfortable to wear. Creating a comfortable and peaceful area where you can meditate uninterrupted is the second step. This will more than likely be in your home somewhere, but you can also choose to meditate outside if the weather is being kind to you!
Begin with simple five minute meditations where all you have to do is sit and focus on breathing deeply in and out. Keep your mind clear and try to keep your attention solely on your breathing. Once you have mastered the art of staying still and remaining present for short periods, you can begin to build your meditative practice. As you continue to do so, you will soon notice the benefits to your mind and other areas of your life!
