Life is hectic and full of stress these days, and stress can really do a number on your health.
I’ve found that I can relieve stress with meditation, and I’d like to share my method of getting started with meditation and adding it into your daily routine.
Getting Started With Meditation
Many people feel that getting the best benefit from meditation requires special training or a huge amount of time.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
You won’t need any special training to get started with mediation, and everyone is capable of achieving the health benefits meditation has to offer.
Increased Stress Levels
Stress is unavoidable in our modern society. The world moves at a fast pace, and people juggle jobs, parenting, relationships, and many other responsibilities.
It’s impossible to completely eliminate stress from our lives, so the best we can hope for is to eliminate as much as possible and learn how to deal with what we can’t get rid of.
I’d like to show you how I got started with meditation so you can begin to deal with the stress in your life and derive the same benefits as I have with this ancient but effective technique.
The Three Step Meditation Process For Beginners
Locate A Quiet Place
Nothing fancy here. All you’ll need to get started is perhaps 5-10 minutes and a quiet place that’s free from noise and other distractions.
It would help to turn your cell phone off as well as isolate yourself from any other outside noise.
Depending on your location and the time of day, you could be faced with tuning out traffic sounds, singing birds and people talking.
Hint: I’ve used headphones when the outside noise level is high, but I’ve settled into a routine where I rise earlier than anyone else in the house, and use this time to meditate with the least possible chance of any outside interference.
You’ll find the right time and place for yourself with a little experimentation.
Find The Right Position
Many people think that meditation should be done lying down, but I feel that’s a mistake, at least at first.
The best position for beginning meditation is sitting in a comfortable chair with a relaxed posture.
Don’t think that you have to sit cross-legged with your arm resting on your knees like you may have seen in the movies or on some web sites.
The important thing here is that you’re comfortable and can maintain this position for the duration of your meditation session.
Any discomfort will only serve to distract you, so make sure you’re happy with your position.
Focus On Your Breathing
All forms of meditation use the breath as the focus. Concentrating on your breathing is the easiest way to achieve a meditative state.
The best way to do this is to breath in through your nose, and also exhale from your nose as well.
Listen to the sound your breath makes as it enters and leaves your body. Focus your mind on filling and emptying your lungs.
Make sure your breathing is steady and even. It may help at first to slowly count to five when inhaling and then again when exhaling.
I’ve had success with picturing a certain color in my mind when focusing on my breathing. For instance, my inhale is red and my exhale is blue.
I see the colors in my mind and it helps me focus deeply on my breathing.
You’ll quickly find something that works for you.
Lowering Your Stress Lengthens Your Life
You’re equipped to deal with stress in short bursts, when your “fight or flight” response kicks in and adrenaline begins to pump through your veins. Your blood pressure and heart rate increase as your body prepares to deal with whatever crisis it’s facing.
These stressful episodes come and go all the time. Remember back to the last time you were cut off in traffic and you felt your anger rise.
Being under constant stress, however, is very damaging to your body, and stress-related reasons are cited as responsible for 75 to 90 percent of all doctor visits.
Too much stress can lead to severe headaches, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and even depression.
Avoiding all stress is unrealistic, so the best bet is to learn to deal with stress when it occurs and learn methods and techniques that will help you relax.
Meditation is the ideal way to help with stress relief. It’s free to do, as many proven health benefits in addition to relieving stress, and is easily learned by almost everyone.
Don’t wait until stress plays a factor in your overall health.
Get started with meditation today and experience the difference it can make in your life.
To Your Optimum Health!
Ted
