Some say it takes 21 days to create a habit while others claim it’s closer to two months. No matter how long it takes to change your routine, one thing is certain: it starts with trying.
Introducing Meditation
Meditation has been around for quite some time. Evidence of the practice has been documented as early as 5,000 to 3,500 BCE. Indeed, archeological findings in India show wall art featuring people seated in meditative positions. Whilst meditation has evolved since then, it remains a deeply rooted tradition in many parts of the world.
The purpose of meditation, in simple terms, is to quieten the mind. When stress and anxiety take over, our brain’s patterns are disrupted which leads to jumbled thoughts. Finishing a task without worrying about the next becomes impossible.
With meditation, attention and focus can be honed onto what matters. Increased focused concentration, which is achieved through continued practice, can help us manage a wide variety of anxious thoughts and situations.
The Benefits of Meditation
There are many advantages to practising mindfulness and meditation. Along with building tools to manage stress and anxiety, routinely meditating leads to the following health benefits:
- Improving overall emotional well-being;
- Increasing imagination and creativity;
- Promoting restful relaxation;
- Improving memory;
- Increasing self-awareness;
- Improving sleep quality;
- Controlling pain more efficiently; and
- Lowering blood pressure.
The best thing about meditation is that it can be done anywhere and at any time.
How to Meditate
- Start by finding a quiet space with few distractions where you feel comfortable.
- Set the tone. You might want to incorporate sound into your practice. Gentle instrumental music, white noise or sounds of nature like a waterfall may help you focus and relax.
- Breathe. It seems simple, but one of the easiest ways to meditate—especially for beginners—is to simply breathe with intention. Inhaling and exhaling regulates and resets your breath, allowing you to let go.
Breathe in for a count of seven, and out for a count of seven. Repeat for as long as you need. If setting a timer helps you focus, we suggest starting with five minutes and adding more time to each practice as you get more comfortable.
For a quicker breath reset, you can use sighing. Take a deep breath in and let the sigh out slowly and silently, allowing every last bit of air out of your lungs. Repeat once or twice. And just like that, you’ve meditated.
Whether you give meditation a try at home or at the spa, we hope you find time to add this practice to your busy routine, you deserve a moment of peace.
