Meditation, a call for your tips!

I like UCLA mindful app on my phone, from the Mindful Awareness Research Center. It has guided meditations as short as 5-6 minutes. Breathing techniques can be very helpful for relaxation.

A quick and easy way I integrate some mindful meditation into my busy day - especially during the holidays, is to use my Fitbit's two minute breathing exercise in which I synchronize my breathing with the circle around the heart on the app.  I sit still and inhale and exhale on cue deeply while focusing on the growing circle and the collapsing circle.  Afterward, I feel relaxed and refreshed.

It really helps to take at least 10 minutes to just be your breath, letting everything else to fall away. It promotes gentleness with yourself, the best self care potion. Use an app, like insight timer (free) to manage your time and keep you honest.

Enjoy yourself.

I use meditation to cope with every day and holidays are no different. While meditation is known to lower stress and levels of depression, it can also positively impact physical changes in your brain that can protect you from mental health issues in the future.

For meditation to be really effective, I found that I need to do it regularly and the best time for me is mornings because I like how it sets the tone for the day, although, I also make a point to meditate just before bed. Never a good sleeper, meditation seems to calm me down and at least gives me a quality rest.

Having a regular schedule is ideal, but let’s face it, life happens, so be prepared to be flexible.

There also are many meditation tools and equipment you can use to enhance the experience, but I tend to keep it simple. I will take advantage of a quiet garden, a stop by the seaside, dim the lights in a comfy spot in my home, or meditate any place that gives me complete focus. To avoid external distractions, I will sometimes close my eyes when listening to soothing music and embrace the darkness (or silence in some cases).

Meditation can be very powerful, so, I ask you…. Why wouldn’t you give meditation a try when it can change the course of your life for good? I have friends who have no time or interest in meditating. I just smile because I know what they are missing.

I use meditation to cope with every day and holidays are no different. While meditation is known to lower stress and levels of depression, it can also positively create physical changes in the brain that can protect a person from mental health issues in the future.

For meditation to be really effective, I found that you need to do it regularly. It’s good to have a ritual to ensure that you do it every day and the best time is what works for you. Morning works best for me because I like how it can set the tone for the day, although, I also make a point to meditate just before bed. Never a good sleeper, meditation seems to calm me down and at least gives me a quality rest.

Having a regular schedule is ideal, but let’s face it, life happens, so be prepared to be flexible.

There are many meditation tools and equipment one can use to enhance the experience, but I tend to keep it simple and will take advantage of a quiet garden, a stop by the seaside, dim the lights in a comfy spot in my home, or meditate any place that gives me complete focus. To avoid external distractions, I will sometimes close my eyes when listening to soothing music and embrace the darkness (or silence).

Meditation can be very powerful, so, I ask you…. Why wouldn’t you give meditation a try when it can change the course of your life for good? I have friends who have no time or interest in meditating. I just smile because I know what they are missing.

Personally, I use alcohol to cope during the holidays!  🥃🍹🍸 Cheers!

Mediation is a way to slow down your brain of high stress, anxiety attack and panic attacks.  Imagine if all of a sudden you can't cope with whatever- Stop, start breathing slower, and slower, close your eyes, and think- I'm in a garden full of sweet smells, feeling light breezes flow around you, keep breathing slower, if you want you can put a fountain there, water heals your mind and body, let it flow on you, put your feet in it.  This whole scenario can last 5 minutes.  You can do it anywhere.

Also, Qigong is a beautiful movement of mind and body. When, you stand, your feet are roots.  Your body stands perfectly still and can feel energy flowing thru it. Your arms are branches and are also flowing.  Your head is closest to the heavens.  So, as you rise up with your arms, taking in the Qi, you bring it down past your shoulders, down your body, healing everything and down to your roots and beyond.

Everyday, we are bombarded by anger, frustration, anxiety, exasperation on how to deal with it.  Doctors love to give pills, it's a band-aid fix.  It causes more problems in the body. So, why not meditation? It's like rewireing you brain.  It literally makes you see something and feel something so wonderful, just for a moment or if you do it longer, then it will be longer. If you do it outside, then you will get ALL the Energy of all living things, and yes, ALL their energy.  It flows from them to you, and you will feel so different., more open and receptive. How is this possible? Because the your 3 Brains are receptive and wants more!  Give it a try, you will be surprised, even if for a moment.

Meditation first thing in the morning, before the monkey-mind becomes active and even if for only 10-15 mins can feel like a short power-nap.  Place your feeling-sense awareness on a part of your body that holds tension and as your exhale, relax.  It's pure magic.  Think of meditation as making friends with yourself.  Become the observer of your thoughts.  No judgement. No resistance.  With practice, the stillness of space between thoughts will grow.  Your mind will then become your servant instead of your master and you will experience more peace in your life. 

Insight Timer is a nice phone app for simple meditations. You can set the timer with various ambient sounds as well as beginning and ending bells.