Is Meditation Right For You?

Meditation and Religion

Meditation can often be associated with religion, although it doesn’t have to be religious.  People of most faiths have some sort of meditation.  For some religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism, meditation is actually a formal practice.

In other religions, it’s less formal.  In fact, prayer in Judeo-Christian religions is a form of mediation where you become connected to the source.  For some people, meditation is more about spirituality than religion.

You’ll need to look at meditation in your own life and decide how it fits your personal religious and spiritual beliefs.

Remember that there really aren’t any rules when it comes to meditation- it needs to be right for you.

Guided Meditation

When you’re new to meditation, it can be difficult to really know how to get started.  Guided meditation will help you to get started on your meditation journey.  While there are many meditation centers where you can participate in guided meditation, you may want to start out in private.

You’ll be able to find many different types of guided meditation audio recordings that will help you to get started. These meditations will cover everything from positions to breathing.  They may also help you with specific chants to enhance your meditation and free your mind.

In addition, they may have background music that will be designed to help you relax.  Music can be a very powerful addition to your meditation practice.  When you find music that speaks to you, you’ll find that meditation goes quickly.

You may also want to read books that give suggestions for guided meditation.  Guided meditation is a tool that can help you to get more out of your meditation time.

The more you practice, the easier it will become and you may find that you don’t need guided help anymore.

Finding A Space to Meditate

When life is busy and you have a family, it can be difficult just to find a space to meditate.  It’s important that you find a place where you can have a few minutes of uninterrupted time to meditate.  It’s difficult to free your mind when someone is talking to you and distracting you.

Any space can be turned into a meditation space if you prepare.  You may want to use your bedroom as a space for meditation. Make sure to tell the members of your household that you’ll be meditating and that you’d like some private time to do this.

Some people choose to use an office area or gym area to perform meditation.  Still, others find that a large closet can provide a quiet, private space to meditate.

Have you ever felt like the bathroom is the only place where you can be alone?

It may sound crazy, but many people convert their bathrooms into spiritual places when they need just a few moments alone to refocus and renew their spirit.  There’s no right or wrong space as long as it’s a place where you can clear your mind.

Carving Out Time for Meditation

The people who are most in need of meditating and relaxing are often those that have the busiest and most demanding lives.  It can be hard to think that adding one more thing to your schedule can have benefits, but meditation will give you many benefits.

Don’t feel that you have to spend hours meditating each day in order to achieve a benefit from it.  In fact, even taking just a minute or two to breathe deeply and clear your mind can be of tremendous value to you.

If you have more time, then you can always meditate more.  But if you only have a few minutes, make the most of them.  Building meditation into your schedule is the easiest way to build consistency.

For example, you may want to make it a practice to meditate each morning before you get going for the day.  This can help you to face the day with greater focus and purpose.  You’ll feel more connected to the world in which you live.

For others, meditating before bed can give the relaxation needed before trying to get a good night’s sleep.  When the stress of the day has piled onto your shoulders, meditation can help you to relax, unwind, and clear your mind.

Have you ever gone to bed with your mind racing about all of your experiences and all the things on your to-do list for tomorrow?  Meditation can free you from this cycle that can disrupt your sleep patterns and leave you feeling weary.

But you can also build meditation into your day at any time.  If you have a lunch break, you can take five minutes to clear your mind and feel more refreshed by meditating.

Even just taking one minute throughout the day to breathe deeply and refocus can have great benefits.

Benefits of Meditation

While there can be obvious spiritual benefits of meditation, there are many benefits that may not be so obvious for adopting this practice.

Take a look at some of the benefits you may receive from adding this simple practice to your life.

• Lowers your heart rate
• Lowers your blood pressure
• Increases your ability to sleep through the night and wake feeling rested
• Relieves tension headaches
• Prevents migraine headaches
• Can help with hormonal balance and achieving an appropriate weight
• Reduces anxiety
• Alleviates depression
• Reduces muscle tension and relieves muscle pain
• Adds a greater feeling of peace

Meditation can provide many physical and spiritual benefits when you add it to your life.  It helps to take small steps in the beginning and to increase the amount of meditation and your goals for meditation as you become more experienced.