Breathe Your Way to Improved Health

Shh...do you hear that? It's silence. When's the last time you sat in silence?

No phone, no iPad, no TV or music playing in the background. Yikes. It can definitely be uncomfortable. It's so interesting to see where our minds wander when we don't have constant distraction. That's one reason that I love practicing meditation.

Meditation can be intimidating. I find that people new to meditation hold a lot of judgement and shame toward what they think it should be like. The truth is, it looks different for everyone! Start slow, and don't judge yourself if your mind wanders quickly. The more you practice, the more you'll be able to focus on your breath and clear your mind.

So, how do you meditate?

Sit or lie comfortably. You may choose to sit on the floor, a couch, or your bed. Wherever you feel the most comfortable is a good place to start!

Close your eyes and begin to ground yourself.

Breathe as you normally do. With each breath, try to make the breath deeper and longer.

Focus your attention on the breath and on how the body moves with each inhale and exhale. Notice the movement of your body as you breathe. Observe your chest, shoulders, rib cage, and belly. Simply focus your attention on your breath without controlling its pace or intensity. If your mind wanders, return your focus back to your breath.

Maintain this for two to three minutes to start, and then try it for longer periods when you're comfortable!

Many people give up on meditation because they think that it's time consuming and you must dedicate a lot of time to see any benefits. However, being consistent (even if you can only get in short bursts of meditation) is actually more effective than long sessions of meditation. Quality is more important than quantity when it comes to mindfulness practices!

Now that Spring is on the horizon here in in the midwest, it's a perfect time to go outside and meditate! Getting sunlight within the first 10 minutes of your day is so beneficial...add meditating to it and you've got a power combo! Such a simple way to start your day off with self-care. Setting your circadian rhythm while meditating, getting your outdoor time, boosting your immune system and positively impacting your mental health, all at once? Count me in!

And if you needed any more proof that you should be meditating, it can slow down or even prevent some neurodegenerative diseases. According to a study done in Boston, there is a link between meditation-induced stress reduction and slowing diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s. Over the course of the study, participating Alzheimer’s patients showed a slower progression after eight weeks than patients who did not participate. Our bodies and minds are so incredible!

If you haven't meditated in a while (or ever!), I challenge you to try tonight.

Follow the steps above and try for one minute. Now, one minute doesn't sound like much, but you'll be surprised how quickly your mind will want to wander!

Ready for more or would like some guidance? I offer meditation sessions in my private group! We use an app that you can access from your iPad, laptop, or phone 24/7. Anytime you want, you can pull up the meditation session and follow along. Email me or DM me on instagram to join my private group! (Psst..there's a new meditation Reel on Instagram today, too!)

You've got this!

H2