Motivation Monday: Meditation

WHAT IS THIS LIFE

When was the last time you did nothing? I mean an undisturbed-time-by-yourself kind of nothing. When was the last time you sat by yourself with no internet, no mobile phone, no TV, no talking, no reading, no eating? Just you, doing nothing. If you're like me, you're probably thinking to a time a long way back. This is why today is about meditation. 

Before you start thinking about hairy, vegan, incense-burning hippies and begin to skim-read, I urge you to think about this for a moment;

We are all aware of the importance of taking care of our bodies. We eat well and we exercise to take best care and to get the most out of the bodies we've been given. (Even if you don't do these things as much as you'd like, we still know that we should.) We look after our bodies, but when was the last time you thought about looking after your mind? 


Headspace

But what's so important about the mind? Oh you know, it's just the thing that we experience every single moment of our lives through. The thing that controls our happiness, our emotional stability, our thoughts about ourselves and of others. The thing that controls our creativity and focus. Kind of a big deal, right? And something I hadn't really thought about until three months ago.

Everyone gets stressed. Some of us are more susceptible to it than others, but we all have to deal with it. I'm sure there's not one of us who hasn't experienced that feeling of distraction, of dread, of not being present or just feeling bloody overwhelmed by our emotions. Maybe you're stressed because you feel like you have too much to do and not enough time, maybe you've been thrown into an unknown situation that you're learning to deal with or maybe you have a scary unavoidable eventuality looming in the near future. We can't change what happens in life, but we can change how we experience it.
Headspace

There can be a stigma attached to meditation, but it turns out it isn't exclusive to silent, celibate Buddhist monks in the Tibetan mountains. Yup. Anyone can experience the benefits of the regular practise of mindfulness. Meditation is being much more recognised by science and is now being prescribed by medical professionals because it...

  • Reduces stress

  • Improves sleep quality

  • Lowers blood pressure

  • Increases circulation

  • Boosts the immune system by reducing the production of the stress hormone, cortisol (!)

  • Can help reduce symptoms of chronic pain, anxiety, depression, diabetes, high blood pressure (!!)

  • Can reduce the chances of relapse with recovering addicts

  • Improves performance in physical and mental tasks

  • Improves ability to complete daily tasks like decision making, prioritising and concentration

Headspace


Intrigued by all I had read, I did a little more research, downloaded the Headspace app to my iPhone and started the Headspace "Take 10" foundation course; an introduction to mindfulness, teaching  the basics of meditation in ten 10-minutes-a-day guides. Although I completed my first ten meditations over three and a half weeks (I think the premise is to complete the Take 10 course in ten consecutive days) I genuinely noticed a huge difference in the way I spent my days. 

The biggest difference I felt was a great sense of calm; less worrying about money, deadlines, the usual. Life didn't just feel good, it honestly felt great! I felt such a genuine appreciation for everything. I also found it easier focus on one task at a time, giving me a greater sense of control, which, for Logical Laura over here, was a great feeling.

Okay. I know this sounds very dramatic and ridiculous, but I genuinely felt all of the above. 

Headspace

So Lee and I have given ourselves a little call to action to begin a more mindful journey; first by completing the Headspace Take 10 course in ten consecutive days. Feel free to join us if you like. All you need to do is…

  • Find somewhere quiet and comfortable to sit (no crossed leg Buddha pose on the floor necessary)

  • Put your phone on aeroplane mode and switch off any other distractions

  • Use a guided meditation (easily found online or in the app store). We'll be using the Headspace Take 10 app.

Or if you are already an advocate of meditation and have any tips, stories, recommended reading or other apps to try, feel free to pass them on. 

Wishing you all peace of mind and well being. Until next time.

1 comments:

  1. So happy to hear that you and Lee are supporting one another as you both embark on this journey together; and I don't just mean mindfulness. But merely, the will to discover, explore and question What Is This Life.

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