A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO MEDITATION March 16 2023

By Hinda Lahmar

 

These days, feeling overwhelmed or nervous is becoming more and more common. Especially with the workload, the family we must take care of, and the responsibilities we have to deal with, these can all increase our stress and sometimes we don’t know how to handle it. However, it is not impossible to find a way to reduce this feeling and feel like yourself again. And meditation can help. 

What is meditation?

Meditation is a set of techniques meant to promote the habit of living in the now, heightening awareness and focusing attention without lingering on the past or the future. The practice of meditation enhances awareness and has lots of positive effects on mental health (Very well mind)

Meditation has been used for religious or spiritual motives for thousands of years across all cultures and religions and is also used as a psychotherapeutic tool nowadays.

There are two types of meditation: mindfulness meditation, which emphasizes being present at the moment and improves self-acceptance and awareness, and concentrative meditation, which involves focusing on one thing while turning out everything else around you to achieve a higher state of being.

The benefits of meditation

Science has proven that meditation has several advantages. It reduces stress, improves life quality, and decreases blood pressure. 

Also, meditation may help you understand who you are, your needs, and your desires, as well as lessen the negative impacts of stress and life's passing moments.

Meditation can free you from stress, anxiety and so much more. You will improve your breathing rate, decrease your heart rate, and lower stress. Better management of symptoms related to anxiety disorders, depression, sleep disorders, pain issues, high blood pressure, better stress management skills, changes in different aspects of attention and mindfulness, increase self-awareness, improve emotional well-being, improve memory and fluid intelligence, improved immunity, greater empathy for yourself and your surroundings, headache relief

Meditation will improve your understanding of the world, and has a positive impact on your mental and physical health. By lowering your stress, decreasing your heart rate, and improving your breathing rate, you will be able to manage symptoms related to anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, and headaches. Your self-awareness and emotional well-being will get better, helping you manage your life in a better way.

How to start meditation

It can be a struggle to find a way to start meditation. But here is a small tutorial on how to start, for only a few minutes per day to get used to the sensation and try to implement meditation in your daily routine. It is important to start with the basics.

First, take sit in a quiet and comfortable place, it can be at home, at the beach, on the couch, or the floor, the options are endless. Sit comfortably, it can be a crossed leg, or against the wall, the important thing here is to keep your spine straight. Now you can close your eyes if you feel more comfortable.

Focus on your breath. Bring your full attention to the breath, breath naturally, and feel the air passing through your nostrils to your lungs, and out through your nose. Focus on the movements of your belly. For each breath, you can count in your head. Breathe in and count “one”. Breathe out and count “two”. Keep doing this until ten and start from scratch. You can do this for as long as you need to. Don’t overanalyze your thoughts during the process, let them go in and out slowly as they come (Psychologytoday)

It is important to meditate every day to see consistent results. A few minutes of meditation, to begin with, will greatly help you deal with your everyday life. 

Before you leave

 🡪 For a better experience when meditating, you can use essential oils during your sessions. A few drops of essential oils will ease anxiety, promote relaxation, enhance focus and concentration, and finally elevates mood and energy levels. It can be of great help when starting the first sessions.