Her Voice Rising

So you’re thinking about meditating, but you’re not quite sure where to start. Maybe you finally gave into your friend’s persistence to try it, or maybe you’ve tried and tried it before, but it just doesn’t seem to be working for you. Well, allow me to be the first to tell you that there is no “right way” to meditate.

Meditation is an ancient practice that has remained one of the most useful tools at our disposable to unwind our bodies and declutter our minds. It is a practice of concentrated mindfulness that promotes an overall healthy, abundant lifestyle.

I was in the exact same spot as you not too long ago, researching the benefits of meditation in search of a sense of inner peace. I never quite got meditation before that. It was something I only ever saw on TV, spiritualists or Zen Masters who had their foundations already rooted in tranquility. I could hardly even imagine sitting still that long!

I mean, what are you supposed to think about, and where do I put my hands?? I didn’t know anyone who actually meditated, and of course, if I had, I might have actually tried it!

How Can Meditation Help You?

I battled with mental health issues from a young age, and I saw a string of therapists going into my 20’s until I lost my health insurance. That was when I had begun to really struggle with my mental and emotional wellbeing. Our world faced a pandemic that economically and sociologically affected all of us. For many, our entire lives were halted, and when I lost my job, I had gone from crucial to expendable in the matter of a moment.

In quarantine, I began to isolate myself from people, and I lost interest in just about everything I was once passionate about. I didn’t think that I could be happy. I no longer felt I had any purpose, and I lacked any sort of direction, but after months of silently sulking in emptiness, I decided to search for an answer. I needed a way to find balance in my emotional uncertainty and mental clarity to seek my own guidance, so I turned to natural alternatives. We are capable of so much more than we realize, and through meditation, we can heal ourselves in spiritual practice. Meditation is the very first mindful technique that I was introduced to, and I use it frequently as a tool to cleanse my mind and ease my anxiety—and it’s actually pretty easy to do!

Forget the stuff of TV. I’m here to show you super helpful ways to integrate this into your day-to-day life effortlessly, but first,

The 8 reasons why you should start meditating:

1. Stress Relief
2. Mental Clarity
3. Increase Energy
4. Improve Memory
5. Stimulate Creativity
6. Promote Emotional Health
7. Improve Your Sex Life
8. Promote Overall Health

Why You Should Start Meditating

#1- The Stress Relief!

Your mind and body will thank you. And these days, who couldn’t use a little stress relief?

According to the American Psychological Association, 1 in 5 adults reported a decline in their mental health since last year, and 2 in 3 adults have reported increased stress over the course of the pandemic. You aren’t struggling alone.

Meditation is a thoughtful technique that, by drawing focus to subconscious thoughts and emotions, teaches us the power of mindfulness through understanding. If your mind wanders during meditation, pay attention to the places it goes. Once you begin to incorporate meditation into your life, you will begin to acknowledge your thoughts and emotions objectively and realign your focus on the present moment.

With meditation, you can lower your cortisol levels and alleviate stress and anxiety, and it has been proven to be very effective in aiding people with mental health disorders. By eliminating your worries of the past and future, mindfulness becomes an important part of who we are when we have the proper guidance and mindset.

#2- For Mental Clarity

By un-fogging your thoughts, meditation provides you with a sense of clarity that allows for clearer self-reflection during and after your sessions—and self-reflection is very important for continued growth! But more on that later.

It allows you to feel centered with yourself and your presence in the world, even in the middle of chaos or uncertainty. This also causes your decision-making abilities to be less clouded and misguided. By eliminating stressful thoughts from our mind and redirecting our attention toward positivity, it quiet our mind’s frantic mental chatter that causes us to feel anxious, worried, or stressed.

#3- An Energy Increase

Did you know this? While meditation is thought to be just a calming practice, it actually exceeds beyond your expectations!

By meditating before bed, your body is likely to boost its own melatonin and aid your mind toward better sleep. You know when you lay down in bed and realize you forgot to complete your to-do list or remember that embarrassing thing you did 5 years ago? Through mindfulness, you acknowledge your thoughts and put the events of the day to rest by silencing your racing thoughts and understanding greater purpose, and that means a better quality of sleep.

If you struggle from insomnia, have difficulty falling or staying asleep, or wake up feeling drained, consider adding meditation to your nighttime routine. Meditating just before bed induces a total mind and body relaxation that allows us to sink into a deeper sleep, and it’s important to unwind your body before going to sleep in order to achieve proper rest and recovery through the night. You can wake up well rested, and when incorporated into a morning routine, it can even be used as a “boost” to kickstart your day in the right headspace. That’s because meditation can provide us with the surging sensation of revitalized energy, which makes it especially useful during moments that you feel bogged down or sluggish.

#4- Improved Memory Function

I don’t know about you, but I found myself forgetting just about everything from where I set my keys to when certain events in my life took place. My memory cognition seemed affected, and I knew in a large part that it was due to the prolonged stress and my inability to focus.

Meditation has been scientifically proven to affect the structure of our brains. As we meditate, the direct blood flow to our brain’s increase, and with consistency, the blood vessels become stronger and more active. This promotes concentration, cognition, and reinforced memory capacity.

Researchers discovered that after a group of participants with no prior experience practiced mindful meditation, they could improve their memory recall in as little as 8 weeks! Studies have also proven that meditation can increase standardized test scores and concentration.

#5- Stimulated Creativity

This was a large part of the choice that I made to begin meditating and integrating other mindful practices into my routine. Meditation is a state of consciousness that can put you directly into flow, which is very beneficial to drive your creative inspiration.

Being in flow is that surging rush of motivation and creative genius that takes over you. This is usually the time that you feel the most inspired, and it means you’re likely on the verge of something brilliant.

You hold the potential to transport yourself into flow at any time with the power of meditation. My mental health often affects my entire mindset, and if I’m not feeling good, I can’t get into flow. This usually limits my creative expression and leaves me feeling depleted. But one way that I know I can find flow is through guided meditation. This helps me break down mental barriers that cause my writer’s block and allow me to realign my intentions with what’s important.

If you’re seeking a burst of creativity, or you want to tap into the flow, meditate! Afterwards, you’ll be left feeling inspired and energized to complete any task with ease.

#6- It Promotes Emotional Health

A review study conducted at John Hopkins University found that the practice of mindful meditation techniques improved anxiety, depression, and pain in as little as 8 weeks. While it isn’t a replacement for professional help, I cannot stress how beneficial this tool will prove to be for your mental and emotional wellbeing.

Meditation can be used as a stepping stone to regaining control over your life from the clutches of your mental disability. While meditating, it’s important to acknowledge the presence of any thoughts or emotions that may arise and reflect on them. I recommend using a reflection journal during and after practices to reflect on the things that require your attention.

Meditation can be used to heal emotional wounds, and reflection demands that we actively grow our emotional intelligence to become more stable, grounded individuals with a clearer understanding of ourselves and the world around us.

#7- Improve Your Sex Life

Do it to get your rocks off. Yes, really!

Meditation promotes a happy, healthy sex life, and it can be used as a healing technique for individuals suffering with sexual dysfunction.

According to this study, women using mindful meditation practices reported having higher sexual function and desire in comparison with women who don’t practice any mindful techniques. This one reports that individuals practicing mindfulness tended to have higher self-esteem and more satisfying relationships. Mindfulness teaches us understanding, which in turn allows us to be more comfortable and accepting of our appearance, as well as our desire for sexual pleasure and function.

If you’re in a relationship and considering meditating, try asking your partner to give it a shot with you! This is a great potential bonding exercise to get closer to one another, and you could even try tantric eye-gazing to really get the intimacy flowing.

#8 Promote Your Overall Health

• Meditation encourages weight loss, and it provides you with the encouragement you need to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
• It can be used to defeat binge eating and emotional eating disorders.
• Studies have suggested its abilities to prevent Alzheimer’s Disease.
• Mindful meditation is found to decrease mind-wandering­­­ activity and self-referential thoughts.
• It can be used as a holistic tool for anyone struggling with overcoming addiction.

Thanks to neuroplasticity, our brains are able to undergo changes, and with proper training, we can rewire them to unveil a deeper understanding of our minds.

How to Get Started

The first thing to remember is that meditation is a unique experience, and for this reason, you may or may not want to try everything here. And that’s okay! There are 7 different meditation techniques that you can learn, and with every session, you will sit down into an entirely new experience.

Don’t chase after someone else’s interpretation. This is your chance to focus on your own, and for now, we’re just going to focus on grasping the very basics of meditation, which will include:

Determining a Duration to Meditate For

Setting Up Your Space

Guided Meditation

The Importance of Breathing

Journaling Your Thoughts

How Long Should You Meditate For?

Again, there’s no right answer here. Think about your schedule and when you can make time for it! Start small and see what works for you. Consider meditating for 3 – 5 minutes at a time. This may not sound like much, but trust me, even small increments of time make a huge difference. Once you’ve gotten into the rhythm of meditation, try experimenting with it until you find the best routine for you.

Will you meditate at night or in the day time? While meditating before bed can ease your mind and promote better sleep, practicing meditation in the morning can give you the energy boost that you need to jump start your day in a productive way

Remember that meditation is a tool that we can use at any time of the day, so for now, it may be easier to focus on when you can make the time to incorporate it in your busy schedule. Maybe your mornings are too hectic, but you have a small window of “me time” between dropping your kids off at school and leaving for work. Use this time for meditation! You’ll go to work feeling refreshed with your mind at ease and your creativity surging.

I found that I enjoy meditating in the morning, just after reading my positive affirmations. This technique gets my mind in the right space to accomplish my day’s tasks and put my anxieties to bed, but I use this practice when its need rises during my day. If I’m in an especially stressful moment, and I need to ease my mind, disappearing to another room for just 3 minutes of guided meditation and breathing can greatly reduce my stress and provide much needed mental clarity. It may be difficult to integrate any new practices into your life at first, so consider setting a daily reminder on your phone. This way, your goals will remain a visible priority to you.

Setting Up Your Space

The first thing you’ll want to consider is where you’ll meditate. It’s important to try to limit any physical and audible distractions that may disrupt you during your practice. You can meditate in your office, your living room, or in your car! The bottom line is to find someplace comfortable that you can meditate calmly in.

The next thing you’ll want to consider is where you’re going to sit. Most people prefer to sit flat with their backs straight and legs crossed on the floor because this position keeps your mind alert, but sitting on the floor can be uncomfortable. Consider using a yoga mat or meditation cushion for back support and comfort. If you have trouble sitting in this position, modify it! If you’re more comfortable sitting in a chair, then by all means, sit in the chair! Just try to avoid laying down to prevent yourself from getting drowsy, and remind yourself that the whole reason that you’re doing this is for you.

Now it’s time to set the mood. Dim the lights. Put the kids to bed, and turn on the oil diffuser. Pamper yourself with aromatherapy, like sweet-scented lavender, which is great for relaxation, and if you’re having trouble concentrating, peppermint for focus. Himalayan Pink Salt lamps aid your relaxation, along with a myriad of other amazing benefits, like decongestion and mood enhancement, by acting as a natural air purifier.

You may also find crystals therapeutic, and you can even use them during your meditation sessions to channel their healing energies. Crystals contain natural elemental power that we can utilize to balance our 7 chakras! If you want to learn more about the 7 chakras of the body and how they support your emotional, physical, and spiritual health, read this blog post.

Follow along with a guided meditation to keep yourself grounded in your session. If you’ve had difficulty meditating before, you may find these easier to follow along with. Try experimenting with music. Different frequencies affect your vibrational energies. Binaural Beats ranging between 4-8 Hz have been said to support meditation and relaxation while reducing stress. Some people find white noise machines to be the most soothing, but there is a vast variety of colored noises to explore, like brown, pink, and more!

To recap:

• Find a safe, comfortable setting
• Use cushions, mats, or pillows for comfort
• Light a candle or use an oil diffuser
• Consider using healing crystals
• Follow along a guided meditation, mellow playlist, or white noise

Guided Meditation

Try sitting on a cushion on the floor with your legs crossed in front of you. Sit upright and straighten your back. Rest your hands on your thighs and begin by closing your eyes. Relax your arms and shoulders, and breathe. That’s as straight forward as it gets!

If this position is uncomfortable or painful, please don’t force it. Alternatively, try sitting in a chair with both feet on the floor. Be wary of meditating in bed or while lying down, as you can grow drowsy and doze off in the middle of your session. If you do doze off, don’t beat yourself up about it! You successfully cleared your mind and put it to rest. Just try again in a different position, or after a cup of coffee next time.

If you work better with guidance, there is a huge resource for finding different guided meditation series online, like podcasts, YouTube playlists, and even free apps that you can download directly to your phone.

The Importance of Breathing

Breathe.

Often, we don’t focus enough on our breath and its impact on our wellbeing. We breathe about 12-20 times per minute. That’s a lot of breathing! Imagine spending just one minute paying attention to your diaphragm, concentrating on the way that your lungs rise and fall with each breath.

Try thinking of things you have to be grateful for or reciting positive affirmations on an inhale, and on the exhale, imagine that you are physically releasing any pent-up, negative emotions. Visualize yourself letting go of your stressors and elevating yourself to a higher, serene state of mind. By focusing on the importance of each breath, you become more aware of your body’s unconscious but continuous working system. In slowing your breathing, your heart rate will lower, and you’ll progress into a deeper state of relaxation.

Forget trying to get calm. You’ll only frustrate yourself if you find you cannot quiet your mind, and there’s a lot going on in there. So don’t stress it! Our goal here is not to silence your thoughts but redirect them.

Let your mind wander, just a little bit. Thoughts will arise, and when they do, allow yourself to be present in them briefly (don’t ruminate in any negativity.) Then, return to your breath work. By bringing our focus to our working body, our minds are less likely to get distracted, and our concentration can be redirected toward light, positivity, and higher vibration.

Journaling Your Thoughts

I could go on and on about journaling—it can be fundamental to our development, but for now, I’m going to focus on the importance of journaling after meditation. As we’ve already covered, when you’re trying to quiet your mind, thoughts and feelings are bound to rise to the surface of your conscious. Why? Because many of those emotions are blocked in our subconscious. So even when we aren’t actively thinking about them, they still affect the way that we think and develop. You may be thinking we got off topic here, but I promise you, we haven’t.

Through meditation, we learn how to gain mental clarity through concentration. This is where we begin to understand how to be mindful in our everyday lives. However, mindfulness cannot be achieved if there’s sh*t going on in our subconscious that we haven’t processed yet. This is why I stress the importance of listening to your thoughts and where they take you during your meditative state.

After a session has completed, turn to your mediation journal. It doesn’t matter what you use to do this, just get those thoughts out! Reflect on the emotions that come with them. This is your chance to re-write your destination. You have the potential to change your life’s direction all with the power of thought and intention.

But by all means, journal any time! If you need to get a thought out, it’s always a great idea to write it down. Reflection is crucial to our human development and emotional intelligence. Through writing, you can have a discussion with yourself and get to know you.

Please do not overthink this! You don’t need to possess any kind of writing skills to have a conversation with yourself—and no one needs to read your journal! Find solace in the fact that it is yours and yours alone. Burn every single page or reread your own words 100 times. Just don’t forget to check-in with yourself.

Wrapping It All Up

Are you overwhelmed by the stress in your life? Could your mind use a break? Mediation can teach you the practice of mindfulness, so you can be more present in your day-to-day life and conquer anxiety. It has tons of beneficial reasons to give it a go, but the best resource for beginner meditators is guided meditation. Does any of this sound like you?

You want to:

• Improve your physical and emotional health
• Defeat the stress in your life
• Discover healthier coping mechanisms
• Find relaxation
• Gain mental clarity
• Overcome substance abuse

Then mediation might just be the perfect outlet for you! I hope this guide has pointed you has helped highlight some of the key benefits of practicing this mindfulness technique and left you feeling considerably open-minded towards the impact it can have on your overall emotional wellbeing. To learn more about how meditation can impact your physical wellbeing as well, please keep continue exploring with my in this blog post to learn all about the 7 chakras of the body and how meditation can support them.