Today I’m sharing some of the benefits I’ve experienced from meditation.
This week has been flying by for me. It’s hard to believe that it’s already Thursday. The weekend will be here before I know it. And that’s always a good thing. Today I’m coming at you with a post about the benefits of meditation. For year and years I thought that meditation was too “woo woo” for me. I just couldn’t understand why people would just sit there “doing nothing”. I couldn’t wrap my head around it. To be completely honest it took me awhile to really get the hang of meditation. It was so easy the first few weeks I did it to get distracted really easily. It definitely took some practice before I was able to get the hang of it. Below I’m sharing the benefits I’ve received from meditating.
Meditation gives my thinking brain a break
It’s so easy for me to get caught up in always thinking about the future (or the past). Between my to do list and thinking about what I need to get done next week, giving myself some time to just be present really helps. I deal with anxiety so that means that it can be tough to stop the worries sometimes. Being able to have some relief from feeling like I’m worrying all the time is such a good thing for me.
Meditation helps with anxiety
Speaking of anxiety, meditation gives me a chance to stop the anxious thoughts in their tracks. It’s so easy to get caught up in the cycle of worrying. Spending even just a few minutes meditating can help me get out of that mindset and back into one that’s much less anxious. I obviously deal with anxiety in other ways as well. I’ve talked to both my doctor and therapist about it and we’ve come up with other ways to calm it as well. While I think mediation can help with anxiety, it’s not a single cute for it. I always encourage you to talk to the people involved in your healthcare to figure out how to deal with your specific situation.
Meditation gives me balance
I’m a very driven, type A person who likes to achieve the goals that I set for myself. Spending time meditating is such a good way for me to slow down and be present. When I realized that it was impossible to be productive 100% of the time, it was a huge revelation to me. I know it shouldn’t have been – everyone needs down time. Taking that pressure off myself was huge. Giving myself permission to take time for myself helps me to balance working hard. It allows me to take time for myself and not feel bad or guilty about it – I’m able to see that it’s a normal and human thing to do.
Meditation helps me to fall asleep
Most nights at bedtime I meditate. It helps me to slow down and get ready for sleep. It’s so easy for me to think about what I have to do the next day or want to add something to my to do list when I have nothing to do other than to think. That time between getting into bed and falling asleep can be so tricky for me. I’ve found that I have something to focus on, like meditating, I’m better able to make that transition to sleep. There’s nothing worse than laying there in the dark wishing that you were asleep but not being able to actually falling sleep. Meditating during that time allows me to bypass it for the most part.
Apps to use
I’ve shared before on the blog about the meditation apps that I use. I’ve shared details on the Headspace app which is my favorite to use if you’re just getting into meditation. I thought the introduction to meditation was straight forward and not “woo woo” at all which was great for me. If you’re looking to do yoga nidra, I would suggest checking out the Insight Timer app. My favorite yoga nidra teachers on there are Jennifer Piercy, Tanis Fishman, and Hilary Jackendoff.
Do you meditate regularly? What benefits of meditation do you experience? If you use an app, which one is your favorites to use?