In the first blog of our three-part meditation series, I covered the basics on what meditation is at its roots. Now I’d like to get into the reasons why meditation has a place in your daily routine. Plenty of articles have been written about all the reasons why meditation is good for you. Lots of people have talked about meditation’s impact on their lives.
As we mentioned in our first post, meditation is a time that allows people to put the “real world” on pause and get to know their own mind. So, what happens when you come out of meditation and you go back to your real world? What can meditation do for you? Here are just a few things it can help you do:
- Enhance your creativity
- Improve your focus and ability to concentrate
- Reduce stress and anxiety
- Reduce high blood pressure
- Strengthen your immune system
- Increase happiness and peace of mind
- Increase productivity
- Build self-confidence
Meditation can also be the spiritual link that connects us to our higher power. I use this list because I’ve seen these changes in my own life and in the lives of many people I know and have taught to meditate. It’s part of a wish list for many that are wrapped up in busy day-to-day lives that seem to not give them any time to just stop, breathe, and focus on themselves. But it is a list that can be a reality, not just a wish.
To achieve that reality, you’ve got to put in the work.
These benefits depend upon successfully putting aside worries and angry thoughts, and they may not last long beyond the end of the meditation if those angry thoughts re-invade the mind. The key to a successful meditation practice is that it must become a habit, not just a hobby. In order for you to build that habit and integrate meditation into your life, it must be done on a persistent and consistent basis, preferably twice a day, every day.
If you’re brand new to meditation, I’d recommend starting out with a time that works for you. You don’t have to jump right in and force yourself to meditate for 30-45 minutes each time. If you can start with five minutes, twice a day, you’ll lay a great foundation to build up your meditation “muscles”.
Stay tuned for our third and final meditation blog post, where I’ll cover some different methods you can try out to find the right style of meditation to fit your life.