5 Simple Things That Make Meditation 10 Times Easier
Meditation is a mental practice that can improve both physical and mental wellness. While it may be intimidating to start, there are ways to make meditation 10 times easier.
There are so many benefits to meditation and there is little to no equipment needed to do it, making it one of the best habits to nurture mental wellbeing. Check out these simple tips and techniques to make meditation super easy and simple.
Basics of Meditation
Meditation is a mental activity that trains the mind. Just like we work out the body, the mind too needs a workout to keep it strong and healthy. It is a tool used by people to focus the mind, direct thoughts, and increase inner peace.
Meditation has been around for thousands of years, and recent research illustrates that there are even physical changes to the brain when you make meditation a habit. These changes can lead to an increase in overall wellness in the long run.
Benefits
One of the physical changes in the brain that occur when you meditate is increased cortical thickness of the hippocampus, the area of the brain related to memory and emotional regulation. The amygdala decreases, which is the area of the brain responsible for stress and fear.
Furthermore, meditation can help manage mental health issues like anxiety, reduce stress, help control pain, improve attention, enhance self-awareness, and boost self-image. Mediation also improves the quality of sleep, lowers blood pressure, and can help you feel more at home in your mind and body.
5 Things That Make Meditation 10 Times Easier
Meditation is definitely a habit we want to include in our day, but starting can be intimidating. Check out these 5 things that make meditation 10 times easier today to start this life-changing habit.
1. Set a Designated Space
Set up a designated space in which you will meditate. This can be a corner of your room, the patio outside, the living, etc. Make the space inviting by adding either a mat or chair and have it ready for you to meditate in. Try to avoid using your bed as your designated space, as this can lead to you falling asleep since we associate our beds with sleeping at night.
2. Use Scent
Scent can be a powerful tool for the mind. An aroma of fresh basil can take you back to your grandma’s house when you were a child, a plastic smell can transport you back to the craft store pen across the street, or fresh bread can remind you of your travels in Italy. Scent is nostalgia and memory. Use a certain scent, like lavender or rosemary, during your meditation sessions to associate this scent with feeling calm and focused. This can help train the mind to settle faster during future meditation sessions.
3. Make it a Daily Habit
Meditation is hard to get wrong. In fact, according to this guide, even a wandering mind and loss of concentration can be crucial parts of meditation. If you make meditation a daily habit, it gets easier and easier to get into the right headspace for calm and peace. Of course, some days will be harder than others, but the important thing is consistency. Meditation changes the brain after making it a habit for just 2 weeks, something that is even more pronounced in people who have meditated for years.
4. Simple Sounds
If you have trouble concentrating, try to use simple sounds to allow the mind to rest on something. It can be white noise, a video of natural noises, the rain outside, etc. Try not to make it anything intense like Vivaldi or Lacrimosa. Avoid music with words and avoid tracks that sound too upbeat or severe. Choose a neutral, calming sound that you can focus on throughout your meditation.
5. Time Yourself
There is no need to sit and meditate for hours on end. Set an alarm and start off small with 5-minute sessions. Time yourself so you are free to sit and concentrate without worrying about going over or under time. As you continue the habit, it should get easier to do 10-minute, 15-minute, even half-hour sessions. The most important thing is consistency.
The Takeaway
There are many reasons to start meditating, such as improved memory, better sleep, muscle relaxation, and stress management. There are even benefits to the brain itself, such as increased hippocampus and more emotional regulation. Starting can be a challenge, however, so use these tips to make your meditation journey a whole lot smoother.
Health comes from within, so eat nutritious food, exercise daily, and care for your mental health. Daily habits become the building blocks for emotional, mental, and physical health. Try to take care of your gut health too! Learn everything you need to know about gut microbiota today for free here.
