Stay mindful

By MiNDFOOD

Stay mindful
World Yoga Day: Make meditation a part of your life with these simple tips.

According to Dr Marc Cohen, Professor of Complementary Medicine at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, when your response to an event is negative or ‘stressful’, your blood pressure rises, platelets become stickier, white blood cells mobilise and cortisol levels increase.

Meditation is an easy way to confront these demons and actively seek to readjust your mindset, and calm your body as a whole.

Whilst it can be hard to tune out negativity, or excitement and overstimulation, factoring meditation into your day can make dramatic improvements to your mental wellbeing.

By practicing meditation in small doses, you don’t have to sacrifice hours and can fit in a daily dose, in just a few minutes.

Live in the moment

Mind racing? Don’t worry, meditation can promote a stillness that will calm and relax your worried, overstimulated mind. Whether you standing in a queue or waiting on the phone, turning those extra few seconds into a time to check in with yourself is worth its weight in gold. Don’t overthink that activity, if you find it hard to remain still, or at peace for less than two minutes, just readjust and try again.

Make use of your commute

Whether you’re in a car pool or public transport, the time it takes to get back and forward from work/school is the perfect opportunity to tune out and tune into yourself.

Insert your headphones, turn on a calming song, or even use a meditation app and shut out the world. Imagine a golden thread pulling at the top of your head and adjust your spine accordingly. Use the time to practice mindful breathing. You know the effects of meditation are showing when you have more saliva in your mouth, and your hands and feet begin to feel warmer, according to Naturopath Mim Beim.

“These are the signs that your parasympathetic (or relaxing) nervous system is switched on.”

Just breathe

This is one of the simplest ways to practice meditation wherever you are. Just breathe in through your nose and count to 3 or 5 – whatever you are comfortable with. Then hold you breath, making sure to connect with where it’s sitting in your chest, diaphragm or stomach. Next release the breath through your nose, breathing out for as long as you can again.

Practice this technique for as long as you like, whether for a few minutes or longer, and you will be surprised at how quickly it can make you feel calmer, and more centred.

With just a few minutes you can transform the way you approach situations, deal with stress, and handle life’s tasks. Try meditating today and see the difference it can make.

Ever wondered what meditation does to your brain? Read about what effect meditation has on your mind here. 

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