A New Year brings new excitement for living intentionally, and creating the life you want. We asked our Wellness Experts to share with you what it means to Live Healthy – and they agreed that Meditate Well is something for all of us to incorporate into our routine.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO MEDITATE WELL?
You don’t have to be a Zen master in order to take advantage of the vast benefits meditation offers.
Enhanced concentration, improved relaxation, inner calm, and stress reduction are all shockingly easy to obtain once you commit to making time to meditate, even for short periods, as you get started.
Just like our body needs movement in order to stay strong and healthy, our minds need quiet time of stillness to increase attention and awareness.
The two most common meditation practices are:
- Still or Mindfulness Meditation: Focus your attention on your breathing (most commonly recommended), a flame, a mantra, music, or a visualization, while keeping your awareness of everything else around you.
- Moving or Walking Meditation: Practicing Yoga or Tai Chi are considered forms of moving meditation in which you gain awareness by practicing simple, repetitive steps.
Many people find it difficult to suddenly dive in on a full meditation practice.
The good news is that you can start small. Meditate for 3 minutes a day for two weeks just to get into the habit. Work your way up to 5 minutes, then up to 10 or 15 minutes.
Meditating Well reminders to help you get started:
- It’s okay if you don’t stay “focused” the entire time.
- The most important thing is that you show up for yourself during this time.
- As with any physical activity, strength needs to be built up over time with regular practice, so make your initial priority to just show up and build from there.
- If you get antsy when sitting down to meditate, try to meditate after exercising or taking a walk. This will help release some of the physical energy you may have and make it easier to sit still.
Remember that you are not just giving yourself permission to slow down and meditate, you are actively cultivating mental and emotional strength that is vital for your overall well-being.
As we all set the intention and make the effort to improve ourselves, we inspire others and give them permission to do the same. Living Healthy improves our lives on a micro level and also helps us begin to contribute to the improvement of our environment, our communities, and our world in ways we can’t always imagine.
Visit your local Lazy Acres to discover solutions to help you meet your New Year’s resolutions and make your 2022 YOUR year to Live Healthy.