Many people remain unaware of how daily meditation can positively impact their lives. A big reason for this is because they have a false picture in their minds about what meditation actually is. Luckily, we will cover all of that and more as we explain how it can improve your life! Just keep reading to find out everything you need to know.

Movies and television have given us a skewed idea of what meditation is; we picture somebody sitting down in nature with their legs crossed and their eyes closed, breathing in and out. While the typical “meditation pose” is incredibly useful, it is not the only way to meditate. You can meditate anywhere with the right mindset!

Meditation consists of clearing your mind and focusing specifically on one thing, whether that be achieving a goal or looking internally. This elevates your consciousness, calms the body, and makes everything just a bit clearer.

The Benefits of Meditation

Many people find that meditation brings a variety of positive forces into their life. One of the most prominent benefits of meditation is the way that it improves both your body and your mind. The benefits of meditation to your mind are easy to see: you become calm, peaceful, and balanced. Emotional well-being increases, and areas of trouble that occupy your thoughts disappear.

But did you know that meditation also helps your body? That sense of calm that is achieved can help with heart issues and high blood pressure, and has even been theorized to help with things like headaches and chronic pain and soreness. It is all about reaching an elevated state of being and dropping away the stress you carry that hurts both your mind and body.

Another huge benefit to meditation is the fact that it promotes inner peace. The better you get at meditating, the easier it is to access that feeling of peace and tranquility. Most people don’t realize how much our daily lives can negatively impact us, with small things piling up and making it hard to relax. The increase in your inner peace that comes from meditation will spread to positively impact all aspects of your life.

Areas of Meditation

Before you begin meditating, it is important to identify the area of your life that you want to improve or the goal you wish to attain. By going into the process with a clear view, it gets easier to focus. Here are six common areas of meditation that people prefer!

Mindfulness.

Mindfulness meditation involves directing away any distracting thoughts and focusing solely on what you are doing and feeling in the moment. This helps with stress and can help you feel more engaged in all activities.

Gratitude

As the name suggests, gratitude meditation means focusing your consciousness on the things that you are grateful for. This can be small, like looking forward to eating a snack, or big, like thinking of your family and friends.

Intentions

By determining your intentions beforehand, you can put all of your mental energy towards manifesting your goals. No matter what your intention is, this focus can help you see how it can be attained.

Self-reflection

Sometimes, the best thing you can do is reflect on yourself. This area of meditation can be difficult, but it is all about focusing on your actions without getting distracted. No excuses, no ignorance - just reflection.

Affirmation

Affirmation meditation helps you to embrace the positive and feel more confident. It helps to identify beforehand what needs to be affirmed; perhaps it is your efforts at work, pursuing a passion, etc. Regardless, take this time to look positively and give yourself congratulations.

Self-love and care

Similar to affirmations, self-love meditation means focusing on loving yourself and the space that you occupy. Think about all of your accomplishments and good qualities, and let negative thoughts be forgotten.

Ways to Meditate

Now that you have some areas to focus on, let’s look at different ways to meditate! This knowledge helps you take the experience with you wherever you go.

Moving

Moving meditation can involve walking, yoga, or even just deep breathing. Moving meditation increases your mind-body awareness and can help more to focus you on the action at hand, rather than getting distracted by stray thoughts.

Writing

Writing is a great way to meditate for those who have trouble clearing their heads. Don’t think - just write. Express every thought you have about the area you have chosen, and you’ll be surprised by what you find.

Guided

This is a great avenue for beginners! With guided meditation, you follow the instructions of a person, audio, or video in order to literally guide you through your meditative journey.

Body Scan

This method of meditation involves intentionally relaxing different parts of your body. It can help guide your focus better than the standard “sitting and breathing” method.

Gazing

Gazing meditation helps to focus your eyes. You concentrate on a specific object with your eyes open, and then hold that object in your mind with your eyes closed. This is also known as “Tratak” meditation.

Tips for Meditation

With your area and method selected, all that is left to do is commit to daily meditation! It can be harder than it seems, and many struggle with sticking to it. Fortunately, plenty of tips are available to help you make the best of your meditation time. Here are a few!

• Settle into your discomfort. Meditation and sitting with your thoughts can feel uncomfortable, but only by embracing this can you move past it.

• Breathe naturally! Focusing too much on your breath can draw you away from your thoughts.

• Don’t set expectations. Try not to go into a session expecting it to change your life.

• Meditate when your mind is calm. It depends on your schedule, but you will be more likely to focus at moments when you aren’t juggling a million different tasks.

Daily meditation can truly change your life. You just need to be confident enough to begin your journey!