The Benefits of Meditation in the Time of COVID-19

Starting your meditation practice can be understandably intimidating. Sitting still, trying to clear your head, and thinking about how to be calm may produce the opposite effect for those of us with anxiety or perfectionistic tendencies. Questions like “am I doing this right?” and “when will I start to feel the effects of meditation?” may cloud your ability to practice — or so you think.

Meditation doesn’t need to feel so challenging. In fact, there is no such thing as failure.

Peace In The Forest can help, starting with the following advice.

1. Getting Started

To begin, you will need to find a comfortable spot where you can sit without distraction for a short while. This means no background TV, no music (unless you are using soft instrumentals that will not distract you too much), and nobody talking to you as you begin your meditation. Close your eyes to help center yourself.

Now, focus on simply breathing in and out. Practice counting to 10 as you breathe in and pause for a moment before slowly exhaling. Notice the breath flowing into your body and flowing back out. Try not to pay too much attention to your thoughts. As LifeHacker explains, the goal of meditation isn’t to empty your mind; it’s to focus. Think of your thoughts as passing clouds or water flowing around you. They will happen whether you want them to or not.

2. How To Create a Meditation Space

Your meditation space can be anywhere you feel mentally comfortable and are able to create a calming physical space where you can sit down for a few minutes. Preferably, you will be alone without pets or children, but this is not always possible, and that’s OK as long as you can achieve some relative solitude.

Some people like to sit in a plain task chair with their feet firmly planted on the floor for extra “grounding”, while others prefer to sit cross-legged on the floor, on a pouf or lounge chair, or even on their bed. You can personalize the space with pictures, candles, colorful objects, or things that are important or meaningful to you. It can also be a boon to address any negativity in your space, such as through belongings or attitudes. Make sure it’s a soothing and positive place where you can focus.

You may find that you prefer guided meditation, or perhaps you enjoy focusing your thoughts and energy on instrumental music. Find what works best for you, and don’t be afraid to try new things.

3. Health Benefits of Meditation

As Mayo Clinic explains, one of the most well-known — and highly researched — health benefits of meditation is better emotional well-being through mindfulness.

Mindfulness is the ability for us to recognize what’s going on in our own minds without having a knee-jerk emotional reaction to our thoughts. Once we become more mindful of our thoughts, our judgments, and our perceptions of the world, the more we are able to choose what we react to and what we don’t.

When you meditate regularly, you can experience better sleep, lower blood pressure, fewer negative emotions, and increased patience. Over time, you will notice more benefits, and it should become easier to meditate anywhere: in the morning before work, on a lunch break, or on a plane flight that’s making you a little bit anxious. The more you practice, the more natural it will feel.

You can also add yoga to your mindfulness practice, which increases the health perks even more, per We Know Yoga. You can experience better flexibility both physically and mentally, and it’s a great way to improve your cognitive function.

Meditation is naturally easier for some people, but even if it is difficult for you at first, this doesn’t mean that it won’t benefit you; in fact, this difficulty may mean you desperately need some quiet time alone with yourself. Even if your only goal in beginning your meditation practice is reduced stress or gaining a few minutes away from your hectic life, you will be sure to notice a difference. Start with five minutes a day — or even two — and work up from there to notice lasting differences in your mental health.

For a more healthful and well-balanced life, connect with Peace InTthe Forest.

Bio

April Meyers is a huge advocate of embracing the mind-body connection, because she’s learned first-hand - for better and for worse - how intimately they’re connected. She now teaches yoga full time to help her students nurture both their physical and emotional health, and she created Mind Body Health Solution to support people far and wide in their wellness journey. Between yoga classes, you can usually find her toiling away in her veggie garden or hard at work in the kitchen creating healthy(ish) recipes.