You wouldn’t be surprised if we told you meditation is good for you. With the hundreds of studies showing how it decreases stress, helps to stay calm, allows for mental clarity and focus, aids in heart disease prevention, rewires your brain chemistry and just makes you feel good...it’s nothing new. Plus the ancients who lived by it have known this all along.
So why isn't everyone meditating?
Mindful therapist Dr. Karen Wegela says many of her patients simply say they "just don't seem to get around to it." It is hard for people to "get to the cushion" and even harder sometimes to arrive at the place of presence when you do finally sit down.
It's not the zen-ness of meditation that isn't luring, it's the fear of how to get there.
That's where meditation tools can be useful.
Here are 3 easy ways to start meditating, especially if you’ve never done it before:
- Let someone guide you. With guided meditation, you don’t need to know how to meditate. All that’s required is that you listen, and you’ll move effortlessly into the renewing waters of your subconscious mind. The subconscious mind has control over the 37.2 trillion cells of your body, and also regulates and connects all 12 systems that keep you alive and functional, such as the cardiovascular, endocrine gland, respiratory, nervous, immune, circulatory, digestive, lymphatic (detoxing), muscular, skeletal, reproductive and urinary systems.
- Can’t sit still? Try moving meditation techniques, such as tai chi, qigong, and walking meditations.
- Just concentrate. This is called concentration meditation. This includes various modalities such as following the breath, repeating a single word or mantra, staring at a candle flame, listening to a repetitive gong or sound, or counting beads on a mala. Basically you are keeping focus on one point. You can start out with few minutes then work your way up in this method.
These simple methods can help anyone finally achieve deep meditation and reap its rewards.
