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How can meditation improve my life?


peaceful view for meditation


As this blog post goes live, I’m going to start a 70-day journey of meditation. I used to meditate quite often last year but I fell off it and while I’ve done some here and there this year, I haven’t fully committed. And really, how hypocritical would it be for me to write this and then not actually follow it.


I feel like this is the perfect time for me to get back into it and I invite you to join me. It doesn't have to be a monetary commitment for you if you're not in a place to subscribe to apps like Headspace, Superhuman and _. You can always use YouTube - some great channels are Great Meditation, Goodful, Jacob Stephenson and Calm. You can also sit in complete silence and set a timer for as long as you want to meditate (I've found this to be what I need right now because then I can get really specific with what I want to improve/let go of).


However you decide to do it, let's commit to ourselves and our betterment at least 5 minutes a day to still the minds, to connect with our breath and to align with higher vibrations and purpose. Uuf just writing this is getting me excited for it. Now if you’re wondering why you should meditate, well, let’s take it apart, shall we?


Meditation benefits


✧ Reduces stress

We all know that stress isn't great for you. Now here's why. Our bodies literally produce a stress hormone named cortisol, which causes inflammatory chemicals called cytokines to be released. Doesn't sound so great right? Well the good news is, meditation can totally help with this. An 8-week study showed that mindfulness meditation (a type of meditation where you focus entirely and fully on what you are feeling in the moment without attaching meaning or judgement to it) decreases the inflammation response caused by stress. Additionally, studies at the University of Wisconsin found that the part of the brain that regulates stress and anxiety actually shrinks when one consistently meditates. I mean that's amazing. And this is just the first benefit. Meditation also in the short term helps relieve you from negative emotions in general and then with consistency, in the long term you can overall get better at coping with negative situations and emotions and build better mental health.


✧ Reduces anxiety

I suffer from anxiety. A lot of my friends do as well. Sometimes I wonder if being anxious is just part of the human experience. But really, who wants to admit to that and make that their reality? No thank you I'd say. So meditation. As you sit in silence or are guided by someone's soothing voice, you are letting yourself be in a state of mental calm and quiet. A study found that 8 weeks of mindfulness meditation reduce symptoms in people with generalised anxiety disorder as well as helped increase their positive self-talk. 70 days is 10 weeks. So imagine yourself and your betterment in 10 weeks if you go on this meditation journey. You might never be the same in the best way possible.


✧ Better sleep

I don't want to speak for others but. I think we could all use better sleeping habits. Between phones and social media and our own thoughts and lives, going to sleep sometimes takes forever. The reason meditation helps with that ties into our previous points. Less stress and anxiety = better sleep. Makes sense right? Additionally, if you start doing mindfulness meditation, you'll learn to control your thoughts through the ability to really focus and let go, thereby being able to do so when you're in bed tossing and turning. No more sleepless nights inhibited by worries for us.


✧ Better awareness

As mentioned previously, meditation helps with focus, which in the moment of your session you will learn to connect with your inner self/Source Energy as Jen Sincero calls it. Basically, the Universe. That will help you in developing a deeper understanding of yourself because the mindfulness that can be achieved through meditation will allow you to really be present in the moment and analyse your mind, body and ultimately, soul. Increased awareness and mindfulness can then also increase your attention span. Just imagine these betterments in yourself. Believe they're already there. How good does it feel?


✧ Physiological benefits

With all the benefits so far being mental, it would only make sense that it would also better your physical health right? A review of 38 studies said that mindfulness meditation could reduce pain, improve the quality of your life and decrease symptoms of depression in people with chronic pain. Meditation also has immediate results in decreasing blood pressure and improvements of it in the long term. And if all of that wasn't enough, meditation can reduce age-related memory loss and reduce levels of grey matter atrophy, which is attributed to functional impairments and neurodegenerative diseases. A review said that meditation increases attention focus, memory and mental quickness.


One of the greatest things about meditation is the accessibility of it. As I mentioned at the beginning of this blog post you don't need to be spending money on apps if you don't have the means for it. YouTube is such a great resource for that and I highly recommend subscribing to those channels. A lot of them post daily so you can always just do the "meditation of the day" so you don't feel overwhelmed by all the choices you have when you search "meditation" on YouTube.


If you want to give it a go, here's a 10-minute meditation you can do right now that's sure to leave you feeling energised and positive.


What are your opinions on meditation? Will you be joining in on doing a 70-day journey? Let us know below <3


Until next time,


Stay present in the now and meditate ~


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Thanks for the message! talk to you soon xo

© 2022 The Betterment Cusp - Yuliana Bourdin

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