Quick, 10 seconds: Close your eyes and imagine a place that makes you feel calm.
Okay, how did that feel?
Think of that as sort of a mini-meditation sesh. Meditation is all about slowing down, taking a moment to be in the here and now, and letting go of the ever-present stress of life. Benefits of meditation include increased focus, less stress, feeling more connected to your mind and body, and more!
How to meditate
You’re probably picturing yourself sitting cross-legged on the floor with your fingers and thumbs in the shape of Os on your knees. While this is definitely a great way to meditate if it’s your vibe, really any comfortable position or place can be the right one for meditation! So here’s what you need for the ultimate meditation session.
Place
Pick a place where you feel comfortable and calm (i.e., you won’t want to meditate in a grocery store). This is often a relaxing room in your house like your bedroom or living room, but it can also be your yard or garden, a park, or your favorite vista spot on a hike.
Eliminate distractions
Yup, you’re gonna have to shut your phone off for a few here! Ideally family members and pets are not distractions in the background either, although with practice, you can learn to tune them out if you need to.
Set a schedule
Yeah, you can wing it, but having a set schedule for meditating can keep you on track rather than having meditation be something that fizzles out after a couple times of doing it!
Have a mantra (or not)
A mantra is a great way to ground yourself. It could be a single word that speaks to you, like “calm” or “peace.” It could be an affirmational saying like “I am enough.” Or don’t have a mantra! Imagine a calming sound like rain or ocean waves. Or simply quiet your mind as you picture a calming place like in the exercise at the beginning. It can be different every time or specific to where you’re at in your head that day.
Benefits of meditation
Meditation helps ground you and reconnect you with your thoughts. Look, we’re all consuming stuff at all turns during the day — social media, email, texts, gaming, music, and more. We rarely get a chance to turn inwards and be alone with our own thoughts, and having a set time for meditation gives you that chance. It helps ease stress and improve focus. Are you an overthinker? (*raises hand*) Meditation can help with that too!
So give meditation a try. You might be surprised at how much it helps!
You can learn more about meditation techniques here!
