“Meditation is like a gym in which you develop the powerful mental muscles of calm and insight.” ~Ajahn Brahm
I recently got on the meditation train, and I love it.
But it hasn’t been easy.
To start, it was actually very uncomfortable.
Sitting still? Being silent? Listening to and accepting my thoughts without judgment? Yeah, these were certainly not things I had ever really done before.
Perhaps like you, I always liked to be moving, doing, and acting. Sitting in stillness felt like a waste of time.
I now know better.
Benefits of Meditation
Research is ongoing, but meditation has been linked to a bevy of positive outcomes.
Increased productivity, decreased illness, better workplace attendance, decreased anxiety, and so much more.
It’s actually pretty remarkable how many positive benefits can come from meditation and mindfulness.
And I can attest to many of these benefits myself. It helps me calm my nerves, clear my mind, and focus on what’s most important. I am able to be more of an “observer” of my feelings and emotions rather than being swept away by them, thus improving emotional regulation.
Am I perfect? Not even close (just ask my lovely wife). But it is helping.
How to Start
For the engineering skeptics out there, you might try reading or listening to a book by a Google employee, Search Inside Yourself. It’s fun, practical, and makes it simple!
My personal start was using an app. There are many out there, but my personal favorite is the Calm App. Like many, they have a free and a paid version. I used the free version for a year or so before upgrading – they have dozens of meditations, music, and even sleep stories you can enjoy for free!
If you’re just starting out, using some sort of guided meditation is probably the easiest.
Most meditations I do only take about 10 minutes, but even if I don’t feel like I have that time, even just a few focused and conscious deep breaths are helpful to reset and move forward.
Simply find a quiet place (I know that can be hard at times), and try it out!
Be patient with yourself, and try it a few times to really get into it. You might find, like me, that it becomes a huge part of your continued personal progress!
See more in the video below!
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