You may have heard people talk about the power of meditation and how meditation can improve your mental health. But, you may be asking, does meditation really work? And How do I get started with meditation?
We’re here to tell you that meditation can be a beneficial aspect of your mental health routine. There are many proven benefits of meditation, especially when used alongside seeing a professional mental health expert.
Does Meditation work?
Meditation can help reduce daily disruptions like worry, anxiety, and stress that affect your mental health. When you meditate, you control your attention, which allows you to feel more relaxed and at peace. Meditation helps you learn to become more aware of and purposeful with your actions. This practice can help you handle stress better when you encounter it.
In addition to handling stress and improving mental health, there are many benefits of meditation. For example, meditation can help you lower blood pressure, decrease pain, and improve mood and brain function.
A study found that people who encountered anxiety benefited greatly from meditation. The people in the study decreased their anxiety in the first two weeks.
How to start meditating: Simple Meditation for Beginners
It’s easy to start incorporating meditation into your schedule. Meditation doesn’t have to take a long time. It’s more important to be consistent and find time to meditate each day. Think about it as going to the gym. You can’t just go to the gym once and leave with your desired results – you need to visit the gym regularly and build it into your routine. Meditation is the same way. The more you meditate, the more you’ll see the result.
A great starting point for meditation is five to 10 minutes a day. We recommend setting a gentle timer that alerts you to the end of your session. A timer is also beneficial in case you fall asleep, which is completely fine.
You’ll want to find a comfortable place to do your meditation. The important thing to remember is to find a position that allows you to relax.
When you meditate, you’ll want to focus on your breath. Take a deep breath in and slowly let it out. If your mind starts to wander, acknowledge your thought and move back to your breath.
When your timer goes off, slowly open your eyes, become aware of where you are, and get up slowly.
If the traditional meditation journey isn’t for you or you want to find another way to incorporate meditation, try a yoga class or do Tai Chi. These two forms of active meditation also focus on breathing which helps you relax and control stress.
Meditation and Your Mental Health
If you think meditation will help you in your mental health journey, we’d love to help you get started at Doctors Park Mental Health Center. We help put together individualized plans with the tools to help you gain clarity and new perspectives. At Doctors Park, we understand there are many paths to help you reconnect yourself.