Active Lifestyle - Meditation Benefits

Its's International Meditation Day (21st May), so I thought it was important opportunity to explore what meditation is and it's benefits. Modern life can feel relentless and stressful, our minds can become chaotic but with the right tools, we all have the potential to be healthier and happier.

"Every conscious breathe you take is a form of meditation"

While we have this time in lockdown - I invite you to press pause and reboot. Taking a few minuets to meditate can help improve your mental, emotional and physical health. It can be done anywhere and anytime (at home or in nature). Some people might find it challenging to be alone with no distractions, with their thoughts. However, the key is to still the mind, to put any past, present or future events or conversations to one side, so you can just be you with no expectations. Below I will list the benefits of meditation and why it can help the whole nation:

In yoga it is about connecting to your breathe and relieving the chaos of the monkey mind. Yoga philosophy explains that meditation can create self awareness, while calming the mind and relaxing which leads to better physical health.

Physical Benefits

• Maintain healthy blood pressure

• Promotes normal levels of cholesterol

• Helps with posture

Mantel Benefits

• Relaxes the mind to help sleep

• Promotes healthy cogitative aging

• Enhances concentration

Emotional Benefits

• Helps with stress and anxiety

• Creates self awareness (how you feel)

How to Meditate?

1. Sit in a up-right position, either on the floor with legs crossed or on a chair

2. lengthen up through your spine and draw your shoulders back

3. Close your eyes

4. Take deep inhale and exhale (inhale through the nose and exhale out through the mouth)

5. Listen to your breathe

6. Concentrate on your breathe

7. Start to think of a positive feeling your want to cultivate in your life (love, joy, good health) and focus on this

8. If any other thoughts enter your mind, come back to your breathe

As we inhale and exhale, we are emptying our lungs of stale air and filling them with oxygen! This helps the nervous system and gives you a clear head (and oxygen gets to you blood cells).

Stay in meditation as long as possible, if you are new to the practice then start small. It's great to mediate outside, listen to the birds and feel the wind as you breathe in the fresh air!REMEMBER BREATHE IS LIFE

Written by @activeyogagirl