Why I Meditate & Why You Should Too

 

Last week, I asked you to reflect on what fears may be getting in the way of your greatness. I hope you had the opportunity to reflect and get to the root of some of those fears. However, I know some of you may struggle to identify the root of your issues because they’re often buried quite deep under the constant noise in our heads. On Sunday, I shared with you how I used meditation to help me heal and grow after a profound loss.  Meditation was a much-needed break from all of the chatter in my mind at the time. It helped me focus on the present moment and everything around me instead of worrying about everything else that was out of my control. Meditation is essentially a vacation for your mind. So, when’s the last time you sent your mind on vacation?

Our brains are wired to think (…overthink 🤯) and process information incessantly until we consciously take steps to turn down the noise. This is why meditation is SO important. If you’re anything like me and have battled anxiety or are a serial overthinker, you’ve probably thought, “my mind wanders too much to meditate,” or “I’m too busy for meditation.” Both of these statements are actually really strong reasons why you SHOULD be meditating. Meditation has helped me significantly reduce my anxiety and I feel better equipped to control unwanted thoughts. Even if you don’t know how to meditate, it’s not nearly as complicated as you think. It’s called a practice for a reason, and it’s OK to not be perfect at it. The important thing is that if you practice consistently, you’ll notice that the mental distractions & negative thought spiraling start to decrease over time.

There are a lot of #dope apps and books on meditation and mindfulness that can help you get started. I like the Headspace app. It has a very real and practical approach to incorporating meditation into your daily routine. I’m currently reading The Headspace Guide to Meditation and Mindfulness, by Andy Puddicombe, Founder of Headspace, which provides a very relatable approach to meditation and mindful living. It starts out with the true story of how he broke out of a prison-like monastery. Not joking.🤣

There are a lot of amazing scientific reasons for why we should incorporate meditation into our everyday lives, including the fact that it actually strengthens the area of the brain directly responsible for happiness and wellbeing through a process called neuroplasticity. Physically changing our brains to be wired for happiness was reason enough for me to give meditation a fair shot because aren’t we all just striving to be happy?

Below are some of the science-based benefits of meditation:

• Reduces Stress.
• Controls Anxiety.
• Promotes Emotional Health.
• Enhances Self-Awareness.
• Lengthens Attention Span.
• May Reduce Age-Related Memory Loss.
• Can Generate Kindness.
• May Help Fight Addictions.

Click here to read more

I hope this gives you the push you need to try meditation if you haven’t already or to pick it back up if you’ve fallen off. On October 29th, I’ll be starting Oprah & Deepak Chopra’s 21-day meditation. Click here to register for this free experience. I hope you’ll join me. 😀

Have a dope day!