In the Feel Free approach, meditation is a fundamental step in the path of inner growth because it allows you to gain greater awareness of your body and emotions, to better live in the “here” and “now”.
Meditation has tons of benefits and you can start practicing it at any time in your life. If you have never heard of it or are interested in learning more, read on, in this article we will tell you what is meditation and how you can apply meditation to your everyday life;
Let’s start!
What is meditation?
Practiced in cultures around the world for thousands of years, meditation can be defined as a set of techniques that aim to achieve: awareness, focused attention and a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state.
During meditation we are not active, but receptive, reaching a state of consciousness totally different from the normal waking state: the mind is relaxed, clear and not focused on the external world or on the events that happen around us, but focused inwardly while we are completely awake and alert. When the mind is silent and no longer distracts us, the experience of meditation becomes deeper.
Why do meditation?
The goal of meditation is to go beyond the mind and experience our peace, happiness and bliss.
However, the mind itself, when untrained, is the biggest obstacle between us and awareness: it sometimes resists any attempt to discipline or guide it on the path of consciousness.
This happens because we are not taught how to stand still and explore what is inside of us, but we can learn to do so through the practice of meditation.
Meditation goes mainstream
Although meditation is often connected with religious purposes, many people practice it regardless of any spiritual tradition. Sometimes, meditation is also used as a psychotherapeutic technique.
One thing is certain: meditation is becoming a real trend.
The reasons for such success are simple to explain: online videos and apps make mainstream meditation more accessible by concretely helping people looking for effective ways to reduce stress.
According to a report by the National Center for Health Statistics’ Center for Disease Control, 14.2 percent of U.S. adults said they had meditated in the past year – a three-fold increase from 4.1 percent in 2012.
The benefits of meditation
As a matter of fact, meditation is good for our mental and physical health and there are more than 3000 scientific studies confirming its benefits.
Do not you believe it?
Here are some great reasons why you should do meditation:
- it is a good way to train the mind and not to be distracted by constant thoughts
- it is indeed a panacea for those who find it hard to concentrate, it helps us to explore our inner dimensions;
- calms our feelings, relieves stress and relieves symptoms of anxiety and depression, even postpartum;
- causes thickening of gray matter in brain areas associated with body awareness and compassion;
- acts on the sympathetic nervous system by promoting the release of anti-inflammatory substances;
- helps to raise our body temperature;
- reduces hypertension and slows down the cellular aging process;
- it is more restful than a nap and allows you to better deal with physical pain;
- allows you to manage the attention deficit hyperactivity syndrome;
relieves the most common symptoms of menopause and premenstrual syndrome.
Why do meditation with Feel Free?
There are many techniques and exercises that can help us focus our attention and bring us into the meditative state.
In meditation sessions with Feel Free you will learn different ways in which you can achieve this specific inner state. Together, we will see how we can meditate using breathing techniques, using verbal expressions and mantras, and through visualizations or through simple body movements.
You will thus discover the right meditation for you.
Depending on the state of mind you are in, based on your physical and character structure, or depending on the specific period of life you are going through, in fact, certain meditations will work more than others and it is important to understand which ones to use and which ones to avoid.
What is your experience with meditation? Have you already tried to meditate or is it the first time you approach this practice?
Answer us in the comments!
If you are interested in meditation or have any questions about Feel Free – connecting Body & Mind, write to us and do not miss the next updates on the blog and on our social media profiles!
See you soon and… Feel Free.
Paola & Tyler
