Mindfulness meditation

It is far too easy to get lost in thought and be consumed by the problems of everyday life. Spending too much time focusing on problems has a negative impact on our body and our health. Meditation is a practice accessible to all that is very helpful to allow the mind to find calm at any moment of the day.

Mindfulness meditation is a type of meditation that encourages you to bring your awareness to the present moment to quiet the mind. Unlike what many believe, one does not need to sit cross-legged for long periods of time to meditate. It can be done sitting down comfortably at home, on public transport, while walking, or even while doing the dishes!

You must simply turn your attention to your breath (without trying to control it), to the sensations in your body, to the sounds around you, for around 10 minutes. By doing this, your attention is shifted from your thoughts to the present moment.

Of course, thoughts are an unavoidable and necessary part of life, so they will still arise during mindful meditation. When they do, the trick is to bring your attention back to the present moment. Even if you struggle with this at the beginning, with more practice, you become better at quieting the mind.

The benefits of mindful meditation are numerous. Studies have shown that mindful meditation can help decrease stress, anxiety, depression, and chronic pain. It can also help increase attention and concentration and protect the brain from aging.

So why not give it a shot?