Meditation is all the rage right now and doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere. But it’s been around for centuries, originating from the Hindu culture of India, as far back as 1500 BCE. Today, it’s widely used in many forms of rehab, yoga practices, and for relaxation.
What is Meditation?
Meditation is a form of controlled breathing and focused concentration to help relax the mind and body. It can be used as an aid to lower stress, anxiety, and other mental health issues. It can also be used as a starter or intro to certain yoga practices.
What are the Benefits?
Proper meditation comes in all sorts of forms. But it’s mostly used as a tool to do one of two things; focus the mind and increase concentration, or to calm the mind and promote healthy decision making. It also helps with the following:
- Lowers your blood pressure
- Can improve your blood circulation
- Known to lower your heart rate
- Sweat way less throughout the day
- Slows your respiratory rate
- Helps lower your anxiety
- Can lower your level of blood cortisol
- Promotes a feeling of well-being
- Far less stress in your everyday life
- Offers a much deeper relaxation
How to Meditate at Home
Just like exercising at home, you can easily do meditation at home as well. There are many types of meditation, with each offering solutions to different problems. For instance, you could order cannabis from an e-dispensary like HealingNug and set yourself up for some focused meditation for mindfulness and improved focus; you could visualise your surroundings to observe your own mind and pay attention to physical sensations; you might also be able to effectively rest your mind by practising restful awareness.
Once you have finalised the kind of meditation you want to practice, all it would take is a quiet space and a few minutes of time to yourself.
In Bed
One of the easiest times to squeeze in some mediation is in bed. No one is around. The kids are still in bed. You’ve got a few spare minutes to yourself in a silent room. You can do this in the morning when you wake up or, if you’re not a morning person, you can give it a try at night before you go to sleep.
Lay flat on your back, hands at your side, and close your eyes. Breathe in deeply; a long and careful breath of air and concentrate on how it enters your lungs. How it fills your chest cavity. Hold it there for a few moments before slowly exhaling, careful to feel the air leaving your lungs.
Repeat this for as many times as you need until you feel relaxed, calm, and centered.
In the Bathroom
Personally, this is the one I do most often as I have two small kids running around at home. The bathroom is a fortress of solitude. The only place they can’t follow or interrupt me. I take small, five-minute breaks throughout the day and head to the bathroom where I can collect my thoughts, focus my mind, and breathe. Sit on the toilet with the cover down, the edge of the tub, or right on the cool floor. Whatever you feel most comfortable doing.
Inhale deeply, slowly, and visualize the air filling your lungs. Inflating them, pushing them. Hold it and then exhale slowly, feeling every moment it leaves your body. Do this repeatedly until you’ve calmed or focused your thoughts. You’ll feel better throughout the day and will have far less stress when dealing with things that pile up on your mental plate.
During the Evenings
Some people like to start their day with some mediation but, personally, I have to meditate before I go to bed, otherwise I’ll just lay there like a wide-eyed lump as I obsess over the events of the day and what waits ahead for the next day.
I perform my regular bedtime routine to get ready for bed. Then I often get my favorite essential oil to rub on my temples. You can use just about any essential oils for home fragrances, but I recommend using ones like lavender that have naturally calming effects. Opting for fragrant wax melts could also do the trick for you. Certain wax melts come in incorporated with essential oils such as wild rose, orange blossom, lavender, etc., which could help in alleviating your tensions and bringing in an aura of calm in the room. Meditating with fragrant Soy Wax Melts in the room could help balance and uplift your mood while calming your nerves. Nevertheless, after I rub on the essential oil on my temple, I lay flat on my back or upright in the armchair in the room. Whatever I feel like at the time. Then I practice the same breathing techniques I mentioned above until I’ve calmed my brain and put to rest all of the things I did that day. I find that when I do this, I sleep more soundly and wake up feeling rested.
Conclusion
Did this article help you better understand how mediation works? It’s really a simple concept, and anyone can do it. You don’t need fancy equipment or to head to a special center in order to do it, either. I much prefer to mediate at home because I can always manage to find small pockets of time and a quiet space to do it. If you’re still on the fence about doing tit at home, just give a try for a week and see the major difference I can make to your overall mental wellbeing. You’ll be amazed!