Meditation is the practice of clearing and calming the mind that dates back thousands of years. “The idea of meditation is calming the mind and getting comfortable with the thoughts that come and go,” Sherrie Rohner, manager and yoga teacher with Yoga London said. “It's a space for self reflection and that's the beauty of it.” Continue reading to discover six mental and physical benefits from meditation.
-
Improves Focus
By practicing meditation regularly, the brain grows accustomed to focusing on something for longer without getting distracted. “The brain is like anything else in our body,” Sherrie said. “When we train it to do something, it gets better and better over time.” Whether you focus on your breaths for a few minutes or follow a guided meditation, consistency is sure to better your concentration in the other areas of your life.
-
Improves Mood
Like any other exercises, exercising the brain produces those feel good hormones. “You always feel better after meditating,” Sherrie said. Spending as little as 3-5 minutes a day can drastically improve your mood for this reason alone.
-
Improves Emotional Wellbeing
By becoming more self aware of your thoughts through meditation, you can better manage the emotions that arise. “I’ve had some really amazing transformative moments where I realized I could learn from my emotions,” Sherrie said. Taking time for yourself and taking care of yourself allows you to recognize the thoughts and emotions swirling in your head on a daily basis.
-
Reduces Stress
Both a calm mind and body achieved through meditation has so much power to reduce stress. “Stress reduction is a really good reason to meditate,” Sherrie said. “It helps calm the mind while promoting relaxation.” Calming and relaxing the mind ultimately reduces the rise of stress hormones that come up every day, whether it be stress from work or family or the long list of to-dos.
-
Improves Sleep
By entering a more relaxed state of mind during meditation, the body follows suit. “When you focus on breathing and slowing down you are calming the nervous system,” Sherrie said. Calming the nervous systems puts the body in a more relaxed state and in turn, allows you to fall asleep easier and stay asleep longer.
-
Lowers Blood Pressure
Another physical benefit of meditation that many struggle with maintaining is blood pressure. “By focusing on breathing, you are bringing yourself into a state of relaxation in a very specific way that can help lower blood pressure,” Sherrie said.
For more information on joining us for meditation, visit www.yogalondon.us.