It takes time to develop and master any skill, and meditation is no different. The ability to calm the mind on demand can be a phenomenal tool to have at your disposal.
Whether you are feeling burnt out, overrun by emotions, feeling stressed or off center, meditation can be a great catalyst to help you face the challenges in life. It gives you the ability to take a step back, gather your awareness and get back on track.
This doesn’t take away the significance of the challenge. Instead, it gives us the time to take a moment, refocus and move forward in a far more constructive way. As a result of this new way of thinking, life begins to spin in a completely different manner.
Cutting through the fog
One of the great benefits of meditation is its ability to increase your focus and clarity in specific tasks. It allows you to be more present in the moment and not get too lost in thought.
We’ve all been there – zoning out and thinking of something else, not completely digesting what was just said to us. If we can be more present with greater clarity, we can increase our attention and focus on any given task.
Managing your emotions
Let’s face it: we are emotional beings, whether we like it or not.
One of the greatest solutions meditation brings is the ability to manage and use your emotions constructively. Whenever a challenge arises, the mind can’t resist to label and comment on what’s just happened. It’s like a TV playing over and over in your head.
We tend to cloud the situation with a storyline and that story clouds our judgment. Sometimes, we may be overcome with nerves, like just before an interview, a speech, meeting new people and so on. In a business situation, emotions, like anger, can get to the surface at times.
The key point here is that meditation gives you the option to choose if the emotion serves you or not. It allows you to see the difference between what might happen and what is actually happening.
Keeping up with life’s fast pace
One of the many issues we face in today’s society is its fast pace. Having drive and ambition is a beautiful thing. Unfortunately, it can feel overwhelming especially when you have a family, work or business. Trying to keep all the plates spinning can feel tough, but it can be managed with time and training.
So, how would it feel to know you could develop a skill to calm your mind on demand? By taking ten minutes a day for yourself, you can refresh and take on the day with more clarity, commitment and ease.
Health for the mind
Meditation is simply health for the mind and the beautiful thing about it is you get to define it. Whether you would like to have a better sleeping pattern, manage stress more effectively, relate to others better or increase your happiness, it’s completely up to you!
It has all been proven. Here are the scientific benefits of meditation.
1. It helps lower your stress levels.
2. It can help reduce worry, impulsivity and anxiety.
3. Meditation increases insight and helps you develop positive relationships.
4. It can help develop your memory skills.
5. It ignites more positive emotions.
6. By meditating, you can improve your decision-making skills and the way you process information.
7. It helps you lower the volume of mental chatter.
8. It allows you to increase compassion for others and decrease the feeling of loneliness.
9. With EQ, compassion can be developed and strengthened.
10. With consistent practice, meditation can increase the gray matter in the brain related to positive emotions, compassion and awareness
See Also: The Profound Effects Of Meditation On The Mind
Stepping into the positive
As you can see, there are many scientific studies that have looked at the profound benefits of meditation. If you take just ten minutes a day, over time, your brain can begin to show positive changes.
This is commonly known as neuroplasticity or the brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections. Therefore, if you have always felt you’re a worrier, stressed or anxious, don’t be so quick to judge yourself. You can learn to manage difficult emotions over time and develop a healthier way of life.
Letting go of the stereotype and seeing meditation as simply health for your mind is a great place to start. We all regularly brush our teeth as we know the benefits it has to offer. It keeps them clean and stops them from falling out. You can consider meditation in exactly the same way. You can look at it as a time to declutter the mind, find space and increase your happiness!
How to get started
Here’s a short video on how to meditate for beginners.
1. Meditation isn’t about stopping thoughts. It’s about being able to sit comfortably and letting thoughts arise and pass.
The cars are your thoughts and your aim is to simply watch each thought pass through without judgment. Remember, this is a skill and you may be shocked to see how many cars are actually there. But, don’t worry. This will pass with time and the mind will begin to settle.
2. Finding the right balance is key when we meditate. So, we want to hold an equal amount of attention and rest. This allows the mind to rest in a sweet spot. If we are too relaxed, we may fall asleep. If we are too focused, we lose the calm we are looking for.
3. Finally, wonderful things can happen when you rest the mind in meditation. One of the greatest insights it will teach you is when your mind is fully rested, joy naturally arises. This allows us to take life in a completely different way.
When is the best time to start?
We normally recommend mornings to meditate. However, since everyone has different commitments, you can choose what works best for you. Try coupling it with something you do regularly or actually stick it in your diary!
10 minutes can change your whole life
We now have all the scientific research and all the information for us to increase the quality of our lives through meditation. Meditation can help you manage stress, grow in resilience, increase joy and find a new perspective on happiness!
It only takes 10 minutes a day! So, take the steps and increase the quality of your life!
“If you don’t have 10 minutes, you don’t have a life” – Tony Robbins