Meditation is a practice where you remain still and stay present to achieve relaxation. Some say the goal is to make your blind blank; however, that’s not true. The goal is to stay present and focus on your breathing to keep your mind from having distracting thoughts. In a recent episode (Meditation: A Powerful Tool to Combat Stress) Candice spoke with us about her meditation practice. Candice is a valued former colleague and she I used to talk quite a bit about her meditation practice. I wanted to follow up on our conversation with Candice and highlight the resources she shared and provide more information.
On the Mayo Clinic’s website (www.mayoclinic.org) the following meditation benefits were noted:
Increasing self-awareness.
Focusing on the present.
Reducing negative emotions.
Increasing imagination and creativity.
Increasing patience and tolerance
Gaining a new perspective on stressful situations.
Building skills to manage your stress.
The following resources were shared by Candice:
https://insighttimer.com (An app for sleep, anxiety and stress; you can set the length of time you want to meditate.)
https://www.headspace.com (App to help reduce stress and anxiety.)
https://www.aurahealth.io (Aura: focus on emotional health and sleep.)
https://liberatemeditation.com (Daily meditation app for the black experience. Meditation app for us, by us. The ad for this app notes that this site is “A safe space for the Black community to develop a daily meditation habit.”)
Candice also shared that Netflix has a great selection to help you begin your meditation practice. Just do a search on meditation and several choices will be offered, including: Guide to Meditation (Headspace) and Meditation for Beginners. They even have a feature based on a book I read years ago titled "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne. "The Secret" was published in 2006 and delves into the power of our thoughts. It's a great read.
Both Teresa and I practice yoga and are fully aware of the benefits of meditation. As stated on the show, my challenge with meditation (without yoga movement) is sitting still and getting my brain to settle down. However, I plan to utilize some of the resources Candice shared in the hope that I will get better and fully incorporate this practice in my health toolbox. Hopefully you too will find meditation of benefit.
