With the hustle and bustle of our daily activities, along with fitting in fitness, our lives can stay full of stress. Stress can have damaging affects on our mental and physical health. Studies have shown that stress may even be associated with the build up of fat in our mid-sections.
Meditation has been known to be a great way to help relieve stress. I have yet to try it myself but have always wanted to try. I was curious to what some of the health benefits of meditation included. Here is what I could dig up.
Health benefits of meditation
- Relieves tension in muscles
- Helps build up immune system
- Increases blood flow
- Increases seratonin levels
- Helps relieve PMS symptoms
- More energy
- Improved sleeping
- Increased alertness
Types of meditation
There are several type of meditation to practice. Here are some more common types:
- Walking mediation - Relieves stress and adds physical activity. The key is to walk in a pattern to help the mind relax.
- Prayer meditation - Prayer is a nice way to relax the mind and focus your thoughts.
- Visualization meditation - This works by picturing yourself in a happy and relaxing place. I've seen doctors tell patients (on tv) to visualize a relaxing place before going under anesthesia.
I don't really know if there is a right way or wrong way to meditate. For the most part, meditating involves a quiet area, being in a comfortable position such as sitting or kneeling, and breathing in a relaxed manner. There is no time limit for meditating, however, it ranges greatly from 10 minutes to hours at a time.
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Nice post. I too have always wanted to give meditation a try but I share a 1-bdrm flat in London with my boyfriend – not exactly ideal for peace and quiet. Maybe walking meditation could be my thing. Why is stuff like this so hard to do? I tried yoga self practice at home for a while, but I couldn’t focus!
Monica – I can relate. It seems so hard to get in any quiet time in our daily routines. It seems like it shouldn’t be so difficult but it manages to turn out that way sometimes.
Finding “quiet” time as single mom is hard. So when I want to meditate it’s usually at night after they’re in bed. It helps relax me and I find I sleep better as well. The benefits to meditation are great.. I suggest every try to find at least 10 minutes and try this.