Begin a Meditation Practice and Improve your Well Being!
Much of the time our minds are not focused on the present, rather our minds frequently wander. Without realizing it we are often dwelling on what happened in the past or worrying about future events. Mindfulness meditation practices can help us to learn to observe our thoughts and return to present moment in a more calm and balanced way. Yoga teacher, Jason Crandell describes why he meditates; "Sometimes my life feels like a run on sentence and my meditation practice gives me much needed punctuation."
Research Supports Mindfulness Meditation
NPR: Mindfulness Meditation Can Help Relieve Anxiety And Depression
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2014/01/07/260470831/mindfulness-meditation-can-help-relieve-anxiety-and-depression
Mindfulness Increases Grey Matter: Study participants were found to have an increase in the parts of their brain associated with compassion and empathy, memory, and concentration. And participants’ amygdala got smaller; the amygdala is associated with fear and the fight or flight response. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3004979/
Tips to Begin a Meditation Practice:
"Your ability to break an unhealthy habit or turn off an old tape doesn't depend on how long it has been running; a shift in perspective doesn't depend on how long you've held on to the old view.
When you flip the switch in that attic, it doesn't matter whether it’s been dark for ten minutes, ten years or ten decades. The light still illuminates the room and banishes the murkiness, letting you see the things you couldn't see before. It’s never too late to take a moment to look.” Sharon Salzberg, Meditation Teacher
Submitted by: Susanne Hallisey RN
- Start out with small increments of time, even 5 minutes of daily meditation can be helpful
- Use an App, such as Insight Timer, Headspace, or Calm for guided or timed meditations
- Be kind to yourself and give yourself permission to start your practice over and over again
"Your ability to break an unhealthy habit or turn off an old tape doesn't depend on how long it has been running; a shift in perspective doesn't depend on how long you've held on to the old view.
When you flip the switch in that attic, it doesn't matter whether it’s been dark for ten minutes, ten years or ten decades. The light still illuminates the room and banishes the murkiness, letting you see the things you couldn't see before. It’s never too late to take a moment to look.” Sharon Salzberg, Meditation Teacher
Submitted by: Susanne Hallisey RN