The Ridiculously Comprehensive Guide to Meditating

I grew up with hippie parents who swore by the benefits of meditation and alternative medicines, and I’ve been practising yoga and meditating since I was five. I can tell you that meditating is an excellent way to get your chakra in line and be more relaxed. Meditating is good for you and puts you in a good headspace and for me is a way to destress after a hard day’s work and has a lot of benefits which we will explore in this blog. So, come along with us and let’s learn more about meditating and how it can be helpful to you.

What is meditation, and how long should you meditate for?

It is defined as a means to reflect or engage in contemplation. It is a way to engage in mental exercise that concentrates on breathing or the repetition of a specific action (saying a mantra or breathing). This is done to reach a heightened level of spirituality. In lay terms, it is the act of taking time to breathe in and out and reflect inward and taking time to quiet your mind and get away from the struggle of your daily life. Meditation can be as simple as breathing in and out or even as deep as practising other activities like yoga.

How long should I meditate for?

You don’t have to meditate for any specific level of time, and this all depends on you. Set personal goals and remember this is not a sprint but rather a marathon; meditation is not a sport but a way for you to sit back, relax and reflect on anything and everything. It is your time to reflect inwards and get away from the struggle of daily life. Start your meditation journey with one minute of deep breathing daily, and slowly start increasing your time to meditate. Personally, I meditate and do yoga for at least one hour a day which is a way for me to stay grounded. The best advice to any beginners to meditation is to start slow and be kind to yourself; you should berate yourself because you can’t meditate; it is counterintuitive to the goal of meditation.

How to start meditating?

Find a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed by outside noises and close your eyes, imagine yourself in your safe space, start deep breathing, and do this for 1 to 5 minutes daily. It is a simple thing you can do in your free time; I’ve even meditated while taking a bath, just light an incense or candle and set the perfect mood to relax and meditate. From there, you can extend the time you meditate, and it can be as long or short as you wish or have time for. If you can’t sit still, which I admit is something I had an issue with it in the beginning, you ought to try yoga because it will allow you to move and meditate simultaneously. Don’t overwhelm yourself and start slow. To begin with, sit in a quiet room, sit on the floor to ground yourself with the Earth and breathe in 5 counts and breathe out 5 counts, now repeat this 5 times for one minute, voila, this is how you can start your meditation journey.

Health benefits

Many studies have been conducted on the benefits of meditating. Scholars have found many health benefits for meditating, so if it’s not for peace of mind, you should start meditating because it is good for your health. Not only does it promote mindfulness, but it also has many health benefits like:

• Boost immune system– studies found that meditation can be beneficial to prevent heart diseases and also found out that there is a drop in the genes that activates inflammation.
• Helps fight against fibromyalgia– meditation is helpful in reducing psychological and physical symptoms of fibromyalgia.
• Reduces stress– This is something that most of us need in these trying times, and meditation and breathing practices can help us quiet and clear our minds.

Remember, meditating is anything you need it to be for you, for me it is a way to deal with stress and my depressive episode and allows me to clear my mind and reset myself. Sound off in the comments section below and tell us if you want to start meditating.