subject: Learning Meditation To Improve Your Health [print this page] It seems like so many people are learning meditation these days, but why should you? At one time, it was only followers of spiritual practices such as yoga or Buddhism that were meditating. But now, even doctors recommend it for stress relief and overall health improvement.
How does meditation help? There are many studies that show when you meditate, everything slows down: your breathing, your racing mind, your nervous system. It allows both your body and mind to relax just by quieting yourself and breathing properly.
So now that you have decided that you want to learn to meditate, how do you go about it? A little investigation will show that there are hundreds of types of meditation. There is even an organization that has free 10 day meditation retreats. But that is difficult for most people to schedule into their daily routines.
One of the simplest forms of learning meditation is to focus on your breathing. Breathe in slowly (but naturally) and imagine that you can draw that breath down to below your belly button. Then exhale and breathe out just as slowly. Each time you breathe in and out counts as one breath. When you get to ten, start over.
Most meditation forms will talk about needing to empty your mind. For most of us, this is easier said than done. In this form, your mind is busy counting breaths but not so busy that it can not relax. And your nervous system will start relaxing simply by breathing this way.
Anytime you want to change your habits, it is easier said than done. So do not try to put in an hour a day learning meditation right from the start. First, find a time and place when you will not be disturbed and then begin with a small amount of time. You can work up to more if you like but try to get the consistent habit first. And do not worry if you find even a few minutes difficult at first. Over time, and with consistent practice, the difficulty will start to fade away and the effects on your health and well being will come even faster.
