[Spiritual]

The concept of abundance means different things to different people. To you it may be concerned with your finances, your spirituality, your connections with others or the level of happiness that you enjoy – or perhaps something else entirely!

One of the most common interpretations of abundance is concerned with money. Financial freedom can be extremely liberating and enjoying this kind of abundance can make other parts of your life much simpler. However, the balance between the material and the spiritual is an important one to achieve – and one that can be difficult!

Regardless of what your idea of abundance is, meditation can be a powerful tool for encouraging the flow of it into your life. It can help you to clarify your understanding of yourself and to really discover what it is you need in your life.

How to Meditate for Abundance

The following meditative practice can help to open up your mind to the possibilities of abundance, and break down the mental blockages preventing you from receiving these gifts from life.

So, to get started you will need to find a peaceful place in which you can meditate undisturbed. This could be in your home, in the park, or any other quiet space where you feel comfortable and relaxed.

Sit with your legs crossed on the floor and close your eyes. Bring your attention solely to your breathing as the flow of air in and out of your lungs becomes deeper and longer.

After a few breaths, visualise the word abundance in your mind and try to focus your attention on this word for a few moments. Notice the colour of the word and the size of the letters. Notice how close the word seems to be to you and whether the letters move around or stay still.

After some time spent visualising this word your mind may begin to wander to connected concepts. Encourage this thought process and follow your train of thought on this journey.

This process will be unique to everyone and there is no way to predict what your mind may connect to the concept of abundance! You may find yourself visualising a time in your life when you felt full of happiness and fulfilled in other ways. You may find yourself visualising an image of yourself in the future with material wealth. You may even find that you visualise yourself in the present moment, exactly as you are now!

Give yourself the time to let these thoughts unfold and spend some time with each new thought before allowing another to divert your attention. Be sure to keep breathing consciously and deeply as you continue with your meditation.

After some time it should become clear what your individual idea of abundance is. Once you have this idea firmly in your mind then you can focus your intentions on this concept. Visualise it and continue to meditate on it as you also continue to breathe deeply.

Once you feel like you have seriously clarified this concept to yourself then you can clear your mind and end your meditation.

Living with Intention

Now that you are aware of what abundance means to you, you may notice that your actions and your intentions become entwined in order to embrace this idea.You can shape your decisions to create the abundant life that you want for yourself and enjoy the joys of having done so!

If you are not sure how to begin on your journey into meditation then click here for some simple advice!

If you caught our previous blog post on Meditation and the Mind then you will already know how great meditation can be for stress relief, mindfulness, and for alleviating anxiety. Further benefits of this peaceful practice include better sleep, enhanced productivity and better blood flow to the brain. Furthermore, meditation can help you to gain perspective on your life and your decisions.

Meditation may at first seem like an intimidating concept, but once you get into it you will soon discover how simple it is. Being aware of the benefits is the first step to making meditation a part of your life, and the following tips will give you the next push to embracing this practice!

Convenience and Comfort

The place in which you meditate will have a great impact on how easy you find it to reach a place of peace. It is best if you are able to create a quiet space for yourself where you won’t be interrupted by noise or other people. This should be a comfortable space where you can sit free from clutter or distractions. If you know that there is a particular time that is more convenient due to your family, housemates or partner not being home, then try to schedule your meditation during this time.

Lighting incense or playing soothing music is a subtle way to arouse your senses, helping to connect you to your meditation in a deeper way.

Some people prefer to sit on a yoga mat while they meditate, whereas others like to sit on a cushion, or simply on the floor. However you decide to sit, make sure your posture is firm but relaxed.

Preparing to Meditate

Getting your body and mind ready to meditate will help you to get the most out of each session. It is best if you are neither hungry nor full, so eat a few hours beforehand or have a light snack up to an hour before you get started. If you attempt to meditate immediately after a meal then you may find that you begin to doze off!

Warming up your body with some light stretches and preparing your mind with a few deep breaths will help to prepare you. The stretches will get your circulation going and also decrease any restlessness that you may be experiencing. Paying attention to your breathing will help to clear your mind and to hone your attention on the present moment.

After you have done both of these things, you can take a seat in your designated meditation area.

Ready, Steady, Meditate

Once you are comfortable and relaxed, having engaged in your stretches and your breathing warmups, you can close your eyes and bring your attention once more to your breathing.

Your breath in and out should become the most important thing to you in this moment. Invite love, happiness and positivity into your mind with every inhale, and expel negativity from your mind, body and soul with every exhale.

As you continue to meditate you will likely notice that thoughts about your day, your past, your future – thoughts about all kinds of things – will try to enter your mind! This is totally normal and doesn’t mean that you are doing it wrong. Once you become aware of these thoughts, simply acknowledge them, remind yourself of the task at hand and then return your focus solely back to your breathing.

There is no lower or upper time limit when it comes to meditation. However, developing your practice into longer sessions over time will help you to enjoy the benefits in a greater way.

Do not rush to open your eyes when you feel you are ready to finish a session. Do so slowly during a few deep breaths and give yourself a few moments to take in your surroundings before you stand up and resume your day.

One last tip! Try holding a gentle smile on your face the entire time that you are meditating – from beginning your preparation to the last deep breath taken before ending your practice. This will help to keep your mind in a place of positivity and remind you of the boundless happiness that is available to you!

[Creative]

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!