Mindfulness Meditation

Benefits of Meditation:

• Lowers blood pressure
• Relaxes the nervous system
• Decreases muscle tension
• Relieves insomnia
• Reduces anxiety
• Improves depression
• Generates optimism, self- esteem, confidence, and motivation
• Improves immune function
• Enhances cognitive function

“You should sit in meditation for 20 minutes a day – unless you’re too busy – then you should sit for an hour” -Old Zen Saying

Begin by setting a timer so that you don’t have to track the time | Sit in a chair or on a cushion on the floor | Straighten your back | Relax into this position with a few deep breaths | Inhale and exhale, allowing the body and mind to settle into the present moment | Notice areas of your body that are experiencing tension, but do not try to force or fix anything | Focus on your breath or a simple word/phrase | Inevitably, your mind will wander | As it does, gently bring it back to your breath or the word/phrase you are focusing on | Your mind may wander many times; each time, be aware of it drifting, and without judgement, gently connect it again to your anchor (breath, word, or phrase) | Once the timer sounds, slowly open your eyes and look around before you get up | As you get up and go on with your day, try to bring the same spirit of awareness with you into the activities of your day.

Tips:

• Set the Bar Low: start with only 5 minutes each day. Aim to build up to 20mins every day
• Schedule It: integrate it into your already established routine, for example before your morning coffee or on your bus ride home
• Celebrate Your Success: there is no ‘right’ way to meditate; if you tried for 5 minutes, it was a success
• Struggling? Try meditating first thing in the morning, before checking your phone or eating

Tech savvy? Try out these Mindfulness Sites:

• HeadSpace.com
• TaraBrach.com
• Calm.com
• StopBreatherThink.com