Hey HP!
Today I want to talk to you about my experiences with meditation and how it has affected my life. For the past year or so, I have really leaped into meditation and tried apps, podcasts, videos, etc. that specialize in looking inward and finding peace through meditating. Today, I want to tell you some of my favorite methods I’ve found that work best for me, what changes I’ve noticed, and some beginner’s recommendations and resources for those who want to try meditation themselves! :) Let's get started.
What Works for Me
1 . Mindfulness/Body scan Meditation
This- I believe- is what most people think of when you bring up the word “meditation” in conversation. This encourages you to be aware of the present moment and brings you back to your breath to focus on your body’s energy and movement with awareness, no judgement. This type encourages you to mentally “scan down” your body from your head to your toes and see how you feel. There have been many studies done on how mindfulness meditation can have positive effects on the body such as stress relief, increased patience and self awareness, and reduced anxiety. (I’ll link a few resources down below to include some more health benefits and information if you’re interested!) Here's a quick one minute Youtube video made by Headspace to help explain what body scan meditation can look like.
How I meditate this way:
I find a comfortable spot sitting upright whether it be on the floor, in a chair, or my bed, and close my eyes. Sometimes I listen to a guided meditation on Spotify, sometimes I listen to nature sounds, or sometimes I’ll simply listen to my current surroundings. First, I focus on my breath. Then I’ll mentally scan down my body and recognize how the different parts of my body are feeling. After I’m done scanning, I refocus on my breath and try to let go of everything else on my mind for a few minutes (which is really challenging sometimes!) This usually lasts 5-10 minutes for me.
Change I’ve noticed:
Compared to when I started meditating, I am much more relaxed. I meditate probably about 5-10 minutes a day, and I always feel much more physically aware of how my body feels. Not only that, but I am much more in tune with both myself and my surroundings.
2. Yoga
If you’ve read my Yoga with Adrienne 30 Day Challenge post, you’ll know that yoga is definitely something I like to practice routinely to focus on the breath. Yoga for me is a great form of meditation because it connects my mind and body together which is something that really helps me to feel more in control of both my thoughts and actions. Yoga is all about working to sync your movements to your breath, which not only helps to better understand how your body is feeling, but also helps to build strength in your mind and body!
How I meditate this way
Currently, I’m following a MarlingYoga daily yoga playlist on Youtube, which is a great resource for people (like myself) who don’t always feel super comfortable to do certain yoga poses or practices on your own. I’ve done a few Yoga with Adriene 30 day challenges as well, but sometimes I will simply put on some relaxing music and work with the yoga poses I’ve learned from both these wonderful ladies. Doing yoga with no instruction is really special to me, and it makes me feel very connected to what I feel my body needs in that moment. I’m not super knowledgeable about all the different yoga poses and names yet, but I’m definitely working on being patient and willing to learn with daily practice!
Changes I’ve noticed: After meditating through yoga more frequently, I definitely feel more comfortable in my own skin. I’ve always struggled with body image, but once I started implementing yoga as a priority in my day, I now give myself a lot more grace. I’m surprised to see changes in my body and the poses I am able to do that weeks ago I thought would never have been able to get. This is what helps me recognize how grateful I should be that my body is able to learn and grow and shift into new forms that some people will never be able to do. Why complain about my body and what it isn't, when I can teach it to grow and learn and see fantastic changes?
3. Loving-kindness meditation
HP, this is my favorite form of meditation. The point of loving-kindness meditation is to create a headspace of kindness and love for yourself, others, and all things. Repetition of words or phrases is often used, whether spoken in your head or out loud. This type of meditation helps me to feel more connected and grateful for everything around me, and definitely helps me feel kinder to myself when starting the day or ending it with positive thoughts and self talk. Here's a 10 minute guided loving kindness meditation from Living Better on Youtube if you're interested in trying it out :)
How I meditate this way:
Usually before bed, I will go to the Breathe app on my Apple Watch and select 5 minutes of breathing. My watch times each breath and vibrates when I should inhale, and there are visual cues on the watch for when I should exhale. On each inhale, I say one positive affirmation about myself such as I am enough, I am kind, I am doing my best, I am important, whatever I need to hear most at that moment in time. I will say this in my head on the inhale, and repeat it on that exhale. For each breath, I will focus on a different statement. My Apple Watch tells me that 5 minutes of breathing is 35 breaths, so each night I say 35 kind things about myself or others that helps me to feel more confident, positive, and relaxed before I drift to sleep. I did this technique a lot my first year of college, especially when I was stressed and needed to shake off that workload anxiety to prevent burnout!
Changes I’ve noticed: After using this technique I have noticed that I feel very calm at the end of the night, and I wake up with less of that foggy-headed morning feeling and more energy and positivity. Hope, you know that I love to talk about self care and self love, but until I started actually taking time to focus on my breath and have five minutes each day dedicated to positive self talk, I didn’t always truly feel that care and love for myself. Once I started making the time for myself to give back to my body and give it time to relax, I definitely started feeling a more positive mindset.
Tips and Resources to Get Started:
1. Yoga with Adrienne and MarlingYoga on Youtube
I really love both of these channels, and whenever I am trying to learn a new yoga or meditation technique, I come to these two. Adrienne’s channel has lots monthly challenges for people of all levels, and includes both yoga and meditation that helps you to better understand the synchronicity of body and breath that is really helpful when starting your meditation practice. MarlingYoga is someone I really like because she does shorter, 15-20 minute yoga and meditation combined that fits anyone’s schedule. Right now I’m doing her 2016 365 day yoga challenge, and I love how she makes conversation with the viewer before starting every day, which makes it feel more like a warm friendly environment and a safe space to learn and work wherever you are.
2. Mindful in Minutes podcast on Spotify
This is a resource I use whenever I feel like I need a pep talk from someone other than myself. These meditation podcasts range from 10-15 minutes on average, and each meditation is specifically designed for when you are feeling a certain way or need guidance in a certain area in your life. I’ve meditated to these podcasts whenever I’m feeling some anxiety before a test or presentation, when I’m feeling stuck, or when I just need to remember that everything is going to be okay.
My favorite episodes:
“Meditation for Anxiety Relief”
“Manifest Confidence Meditation”
“Unconditional Self Love Meditation”
3. Calm app Sleep Stories and Music
This app is a great resource for people who are new to meditation, and this is also a great outlet to try different or nontraditional forms of meditation. Sometimes, I like to listen to their calming music/sounds like nature melodies and rain sounds when I want to take a quick nap or be able to better focus on my breathing. Sometimes, artists will even remix their original songs to have a calmer feel that can help relax a person to sleep. For example, the band 5 Seconds of Summer released four new remixed versions of their songs that focus on calming sounds and feelings that release stress and promote relaxation.
Also, if you want to try Sleep Stories, Calm releases stories read by countless voices to help calm you to sleep, one of whom just recently became Harry Styles! Harry Styles teamed up with Calm a few months ago to read “Dream with Harry,” a forty minute story meant to help its listeners fall into a peaceful sleep which I recommend trying out!
If you try any of these techniques or resources, please let me know how it goes for you! I hope you find something that helps you find a bit more peace in your daily life. Happy meditating!
-maddie
Places to read more about meditation types and benefits:
Resources mentioned:
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