Mindfulness Meditation: What You Should Know
Mindfulness meditation is a meditation practice with amazing health benefits, recognized by both traditional and modern medicine. However, not everyone understands and understands the basic techniques of this content.
In recent years, meditation has become a popular health exercise among young people, not just the previous generation. Unlike physical and sports activities, this subject requires practitioners to train both mind and body, thereby achieving fullness in life.
Table of Contents
What is mindfulness meditation?
Mindfulness meditation is a mental exercise that helps you reduce racing thoughts, let go of afflictions, and calm both your mind and body. This method combines meditation with mindfulness practice, which can be defined as a mental state that involves being fully focused on the “now” so that you can acknowledge and accept your thoughts and feelings. and your feelings without judgment.
Techniques can vary, but in general, mindfulness meditation involves deep breathing and awareness of the body and mind. Practicing mindfulness meditation requires no props or preparation (no candles, essential oils, or mantras, unless you like them). To get started, all you need is a comfortable seat, three to five minutes of free time, and non-judgmental thinking.
Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation
- Stress reduction: Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), a standardized therapeutic approach to mindfulness meditation, has been shown to reduce symptoms of stress in healthy individuals. This method has also been shown to be beneficial for a number of mental and physical disorders including anxiety, depression, and chronic pain.
- Slower heart rate: Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, and research shows that mindfulness can benefit your heart. In one study, participants signed up for an online mindfulness meditation program or were added to a waiting list for traditional heart disease treatment. Participants in mindfulness meditation had a significantly slower heart rate and better results on a test of cardiovascular function.
- Improves immunity: Research also shows that practicing mindfulness can improve your body’s ability to fight disease. One study compared the effects of both mindfulness and exercise on immune function. They found that people who took part in an eight-week mindfulness course had higher immune function than those in the exercise group.
- Sleep Better: Studies have also shown that practicing mindfulness meditation can improve sleep and is even helpful for treating certain sleep disorders.
How to practice mindfulness meditation?
Be comfortable
Find a quiet and comfortable place. Sit in a chair or on the floor with your head, neck, and back straight but not stiff. You should wear loose, comfortable clothes so as not to be distracted.
But since this method can be done anywhere for any length of time, there is no dress code.
Use a timer
While it’s not necessary, a timer (preferably with a gentle, soothing alarm) can help you focus on your meditation and forget about time and eliminate any reason to stop. back and do something else.
Since many people don’t keep track of time while meditating, a timer can also make sure you don’t meditate for too long. Remember to give yourself some time after meditating to become aware of where you are and gradually come back to reality.
While some people meditate for longer periods of time, even a few minutes a day can make a difference. Start with a short meditation session, about 5 minutes, and increase your time by 10 or 15 minutes until you are comfortable with 30 minutes of meditation at a time.
Focus on the breath
Be aware of your breath, in tune with the sensation of air moving in and out of your body as you breathe. Feel your belly rise and fall as air goes in and out of your nose. Notice the change in temperature on inhalation compared to exhalation.
Notice your thoughts
The goal is not to suppress your thoughts, but rather to make you feel more comfortable being a “witness” to them. When thoughts pop into your head, don’t ignore or suppress them. Simply acknowledge them, stay calm, and use your breath as an anchor. Imagine your thoughts as passing clouds; Watch them drift away as they move and change. Repeat this as often as needed during meditation.
Rest
If you find yourself lost in thoughts whether anxiety, fear, wonder, or hope observe where your mind is, don’t judge, and simply return to your breathing. Don’t be too hard on yourself if this happens; The method of getting back to your breathing and focusing back on the present moment is the practice of mindfulness.
Final thoughts
Getting started with mindfulness meditation can be a bit daunting, but it’s important to remember that even just a few minutes of practice a day can have significant benefits. Even if you don’t do it every day, you can get back to your workout whenever you need to.
If you want to read more meditation information, the links below here belong to you:
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