8 benefits of mindfulness meditation make many people surprised

Learning mindfulness meditation does not take much time, but the effect that mindfulness meditation brings to health and spirit is immense.

Originating from Eastern Buddhist activities, mindfulness meditation is spreading strongly and is well received in many countries around the world. In the context of today’s hustle and bustle, mindfulness meditation is considered a miracle cure for mental healing that is both simple and effective for everyone. Let’s see the sharing below with easyhealthylive.com to understand more about the effects of mindfulness meditation.

What is mindfulness meditation?

Many people share that, after practicing mindfulness meditation, their minds are filled with good thoughts. How did mindfulness meditation do it? To answer this question, you first need to understand what mindfulness is.

Mindfulness is the awakening of paying attention to what is happening in your life right now, instead of letting your mind be filled with unwanted thoughts. This will lead you to see your own perspective, live in harmony with the world around you, as well as a profound sense of the integrity of every moment of your life.

Besides, this concept also makes negative thoughts have no space to develop. You will be able to put aside the worries and troubles in life. When anxiety stops building up, your mind will become calmer and more relaxed.

Mindfulness meditation is a mental exercise by focusing the mind on factors such as emotions, feelings, and thoughts in the present moment. It can also be seen as a process of self-introspection and conscious action to help you live purposefully in the present moment.

8 benefits of mindfulness meditation make many people surprised

Did you know that every day we are wasting too much time and energy on vague, confusing thoughts? According to a Harvard University study, an adult spends about 47% of the day wandering in his or her own mind.

You can completely learn to control your conscious as well as subconscious through mindfulness meditation. This activity helps you make the most of the power of your mind, thereby improving your mental health:

1. Improve sleep quality, help you sleep better and deeper
2. Supports weight loss if you are struggling with weight fluctuations
3. Reducing stress – a common thing in today’s fast-paced society
4. Reducing feelings of loneliness in the elderly
5. Improve concentration, attention, increase memory, help mental clarity and alertness
6. Manage chronic pain, significantly improve pain condition so you can easily perform daily activities
7. Prevents relapse of depression by helping patients get rid of negative thoughts and accompanying dysfunctions
8. Increases the amount of gray matter in the brain – the part involved in the regulation of emotions, memory and learning.

Recently, Harvard University, USA also proposed measures such as yoga, meditation and breathing to deal with COVID-19.

How to practice mindfulness meditation?

To practice mindfulness meditation, you can follow these simple steps:

1. Choose a location

You can practice anywhere, on the sofa in the living room or meditate outdoors on a bench in the park as long as the place is quiet and you can separate from your daily activities. After choosing a suitable position, choose for yourself a comfortable position such as sitting, lying, standing, walking…

Sitting is the most commonly used position. You can choose for yourself a comfortable, firm and unrestricted sitting position. If sitting on a cushion, on the floor, cross your legs comfortably, and if sitting on a chair, it is best to let your feet touch the ground. You can also lie down, but make sure you don’t “drift into a dreamland” while meditating.

2. Pay attention to the mindfulness meditation posture

• Whether you’re standing or sitting, try to keep your back straight. However, do not strain your body because the spine naturally has a curvature. Shoulders and head can rest comfortably on top of the vertebrae.
• Place hands parallel to upper body, hands can rest on legs. Don’t lean forward too much because that will make your back hunchback, if you lean back too much, your body will be stiff.
• You can slightly tilt your chin forward and look down. Eyes may be half-aimed or completely closed.

3. Start meditating

Meditate for a few minutes, relax, and focus on your body senses or breathing. It may take a while for you to calm down and get away from what’s going on in your life. This is completely normal and you should just let your mind “free dance” before settling down.

After the mind has settled, bring awareness to the breath, feeling each breath flowing in and out of the body, filling the lungs, then exiting through the throat and mouth. Every time you breathe, remember that you are “inhaling” and “exhaling”. Start taking long, deep breaths, taking deep breaths that will help stabilize and relax your mind and body.

During practice, attention may leave the breath and wander to other places. You don’t have to block this train of thought or judge yourself. Let the thought wander for a while and then slowly turn your attention back to the breath.

After a period of 3-5 minutes (if comfortable, you can meditate longer), gently raise your eyes, taking a moment to pay attention to all the other sounds around. Notice how your body feels, thinks, and feels. Sit still for a while and decide what to do with the rest of the day.

Some other ways to practice mindfulness meditation

Few people know that cooking is the ideal time to practice mindfulness meditation

In addition to making time for sitting meditation, you can practice mindfulness meditation in any part of the day, such as while:

1.Cooking

Cooking is a time when you are rarely disturbed and you always have a high concentration. The combination of physical activity and alone time makes cooking time the perfect time to meditate. You can practice mindfulness meditation by listening to the sound of the pan or focusing on the freshness of the ingredients.

2. Brush your teeth

You can’t start a day without brushing your teeth. So take this opportunity to practice meditation. You can focus on brushing your teeth by tasting the toothpaste, feeling the bristles of the brush, and feeling the movement of your hands.

3. Driving

You can also meditate while driving to work. Turn off the radio or switch to channels with soft music, pay attention to how you feel in the car, how your body adjusts to the seat, and monitor the thoughts and feelings you’re experiencing while driving.

4. Eat mindfully

This method can help you lose weight by slowing down and enjoying the food. You can practice with a piece of apple or any other fruit you like by following these steps:

• Take the apple and look at it, then observe the shape, structure or anything else.
• Feel the apple in your hand and keep it away from your lips
• Bring it close to your face and smell it. Pay attention to bodily reactions such as salivation or increased desire to taste
• Take a bite, pay attention to the taste and feel to see if it tastes good to chew.

Some frequently asked questions when practicing mindfulness meditation

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about mindfulness meditation:

1. How long should I practice mindfulness meditation?

The amount of time you spend in mindfulness meditation will vary from person to person. Some people find it comfortable to meditate for 20 minutes while others may want to meditate for an hour. This depends entirely on you, if you are new to the practice, you can practice for about 10 minutes and gradually increase the time.

2. When is the best time to practice mindfulness meditation?

The best time to meditate is in the morning as this is a great way to start your day fresh. However, if you don’t have time, you can still practice at other times of the day.

Practicing mindfulness every day seems to be very simple, but in reality, it is not as easy as you think because of the chaos and worries of daily life. However, if you practice it regularly, you will find that mindfulness meditation brings countless benefits to your physical and mental health.

Reference source

Mindfulness Meditation – Choose to be in Present to Change Your Life for Better https://parenting.firstcry.com/articles/mindfulness-meditation-choose-to-be-in-present-to-change-your-life-for- better/ Accessed date: 12/21/2020