As a yoga instructor, I learned the importance of including time for meditation every day. I certainly learned the importance of meditation when I was undergoing treatments for 3 cancers. It helped tame my Monkey mind worrying about the outcome. Here are some baseline step-by-step advice on how to practice meditation

What are the health benefits of meditation?

Meditation can help you feel calm by slowing down the pace of your thoughts and getting you in touch with what’s going on in your body. Many studies have proven that meditation can significantly reduce stress and improve your breathing and overall mental health.

You can start by meditating for 10 minutes once or twice a day. Once you feel comfortable, you can increase this to 20 minutes a day or more

Meditation technique you might want to try :

• Find a quiet place or room where there are no distractions.
• Sit with your legs crossed, as upright as possible, or lie in a comfortable position. Start breathing slowly and as you start to feel relaxed, close your eyes. Slowly repeat a pleasant-sounding word, such as the universal mantra “om,” or a word that means something special to you while breathing deeply.
• If you notice that thoughts such as to-do lists or feelings enter your mind, acknowledge them and focus on your mantra or your breathing. Distractions are normal: don’t be discouraged. Feeling drowsy or sleepy is normal when you meditate. Practice will eventually help you have more control over your mind.
• When you finish the meditation, bring your attention to your body and posture. Open your eyes, look around the room for a minute or two, stretch and slowly stand up.

You may try a walk-in meditation class to learn how it is done. Check-out some local yoga studios for meditation-based classes. In Ottawa, there is a meditation focused outlet called The Peace Room on Sparks Street that you can try.

Conclusion

If you practice meditation regularly, you may start to feel detached from your body and your physical surroundings.
You can be in touch with your innermost self while meditating and feel more energized in your day-to-day activities.