Why You Should Meditate at Least Once a Day
Many people have started a daily meditation practice to find peace and tranquility in the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
In fact, the meditation and relaxation app Clue became the most popular app during the start of the pandemic. Headspace came in second, as it is a very popular guided meditation app. And this only goes to show how much meditation has grown in popularity in the past year.
Overall, this is great news as the practice is beneficial for individuals who want to improve their well-being.
And through regular mediation, you can also experience the following benefits:
What Are the Benefits of Meditation?
1. Reduce your risk of getting a chronic disease
Meditation can improve your physical health by managing your stress levels.
According to The Manual, chronic stress prompts your adrenal glands to overproduce a hormone called cortisol.
Unfortunately, your immune system as well as other health organs can be affected whenever you have too much cortisol in your body.
Luckily, The Manual also points out that individuals who meditate daily are 40% less susceptible to relevant diseases, including heart attacks and cardiovascular conditions.
2. Makes you happier
Meditation is widely known to make people happier. Monk Thich Nhat Hanh, who is sometimes called the father of mindfulness, states that the practice teaches you to find happiness in simple things.
In fact, Nhat Hanh wrote in his book Your True Home that a Buddha is an enlightened being who is capable of loving and forgiving.
And through mindfulness, you also achieve this state, where you can find happiness and love in many things.
3. Greater mental health outcomes
Meditation is also recognized as one of the most efficient strategies for improving one’s mental health. The practice calms and reassures your mind by helping you enter a state of tranquillity.
Through regular practice, meditation can relieve your stress levels and reduce any harmful thoughts. And by training your mind every day, you can improve your mental well-being little by little.
The Practice Doesn’t Have to Take More Than a Few Minutes
It may sound like a huge commitment to meditate every single day.
However, the good news is that you can achieve the aforementioned benefits to your mind and body by dedicating just a few minutes to the practice each day.
Former Buddhist monk Andy Puddicombe wrote in his book entitled Headspace Guide to Meditation and Mindfulness that all you need is 10 minutes of meditation.
As the UK’s foremost mindfulness meditation expert, Puddicombe knows from experience that 10 minutes per day can make a world of difference. The meditation expert states that even simple exercises and techniques can help you soothe your mind.
To illustrate, we at Nada Yoga School have created a simple meditation guide that can help you relieve stress. Start your daily meditation practice by finding a quiet place that will make it easier for you to focus. Then sit down with a straight back and allow your hands to relax on your lap. Close your eyes before inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth. As you achieve a good rhythm with your breathing, do your best to focus your mind. There will come a point when your mind conjures images or thoughts. Instead of lingering on those thoughts, just let everything pass. Remember to do this every day for 10 minutes. It will keep you grounded and give you a moment’s respite from whatever troubles you’re facing.
Meditation is a practice that can improve your physical health, mental well-being, and happiness over time. But to experience these benefits, you don’t need to dedicate your whole life to meditation.
All it takes is 10 minutes every day.
Although if you’d like to integrate more meditation practices into your routine, check out our online workshops where we have a wide range of offerings — from pranayama workshops to Yoga Nidra Facilitation courses.
