7 + 1 Reasons to Start Meditating
I had already tried to do 10 min daily meditations in 2019, but I always felt that I could not concentrate and that I only thought about the things I had to do or that I was not meant to do that. At the beginning of 2020 I started researching about the topic and I realized that it is normal for your mind to wander during meditation. I was not the strange one for that, but I would have been the strange one if my mind did not do that. Since then, I have provided myself to try once more and doesn't judge if the mind wanders, simply each time it happens to recognize that thought, and then yes, to return to the anchor (normally the breath).
But why should we meditate?
1. Increase neuroplasticity
Studies indicate that meditation increases neuroplasticity. Imagine that you start training squats, one of the muscles that will develop with the training is the glutes. Meditation is like squats, but for our brain. And Neuroplasticity describes changes in our brain responding to experience (for example, through increased connections or the creation of new neurons).
2. Increases gray matter in the brain
Meditation has been associated with an increase in gray matter in the brain, in areas responsible for memory, stress and self-sense. In contrast, this study indicates an association between people with depression and a lower volume of gray matter.
The practice was also associated with an increase in the hippocampus that is associated with learning. Meditation has also been associated with a decrease in the amygdala zone, which is our zone associated with anxiety.
3. Improve the immune system
This study analyzed articles published between 1966 and 2015 on meditation and the immune system (20 studies were analyzed, making a total of 1602 participants). The study concluded that meditation practice was associated with a decrease in inflammatory proteins and an increase in the number of cells with a role in the immune system.
4. Decreased risk of relapse in people with a history of depression
In this study, they concluded that meditation can decrease the risk of relapse in people with depression in total or partial remission, even when compared to the usual antidepressant treatments.
5. Your mind stops wandering during the day (wandering makes us sad)
Meditation helps us to be more present and shorten the times that our mind wanders. Our mind tends to wander, even in the good times we want to enjoy.
6. Help in interpersonal relationships
Certain categories of meditation such as “Loving-kindeness” can make us more sociable, do not judge others or ourselves.
7. Can help with weight loss
This study concluded that in a group of women who wanted to lose weight those who started doing meditation increased their level of physical exercise and decreased their BMI (body mass index), mainly due to the decrease in snacks throughout the day.
And now an extra one …
8. Many successful people do it
Most of us have read or heard somewhere about the importance of meditation. I heard many successful entrepreneurs say it was the thing they should have started doing earlier. In the book “Tools of Titans” by Tim Ferriss where the author interviews several successful people, such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Malcom Gladwell, Wim Hof, Tony Robins, and where he explores tools that the interviewees considered essential for their success and, concluded that 80% of the interviewees do meditation.
If you just sit and observe, you will see how restless your mind is. If you try to calm it, it only makes things worse, but over time it does calm, and when it does, there’s room to hear more subtle things — that’s when your intuition starts to blossom and you start to see things more clearly and be in the present more. Steve Jobs
We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves. Dalai Lama
So many times we say that we need to rest the body after days of hard work or exercise. Meditation is a way to rest the mind, to help us accept the past and live the present (it is not being in the present, but living in the present moment).
Apps to help you started
1. Breethe
Compatible with: iOS and Android
Youtube: Breethe
You can search for meditations according to the time of day (morning, during work to increase focus, meditation to do while traveling, etc.). This application was created by Lynne Goldberg who is considered one of the best meditation teachers in North America according to Forbes magazine.
The application is free, but to have access to most of the content you have to subscribe for the award-winning version which costs € 98.99 / year (14 days free to try).
2. Calm
Compatible with: iOS and Android
Youtube: Calm
Guided meditation for various areas (for example, Mental Fitness), stories to help you sleep, relaxing music (for concentration, for example), podcasts on various topics (for example, breathing with the author and journalist James Nestor).
The application is free, but to have access to most of the content you have to subscribe to the award-winning version which costs € 49.99 / year (7 days free for testing).
What I like most about this application is that when you open it, you immediately start to hear nature sounds.
3. Waking up
Compatible with: iOS and Android
Created by author, philosopher and neuroscientist Sam Harris. The author divides the application into the practical part where you have a 28 day guided meditation plan for beginners, after these 20 days you have a daily meditation that you choose between 10 or 20 min, you also have loving-kindness meditation and longer meditations of 30- 60 min In the application you have even more meditation plans created by other teachers on contemplative actions, mindfulness and even meditation for children. In the award version, you can download to listen offline.
The other section of the application is the theoretical part where you have podcasts only with the author or with guests on several topics, from Free Will to the science of happiness.
The application is free, but to have access to most of the content you have to subscribe for the award-winning version which costs € 59.99 / year. This application, if you are unable to pay you can send an email to them and they offer for a year.
4. Simple Habit
Compatible wtih: iOS and Android
Youtube: Simple Habit
Here you have meditation to increase your confidence, deal with anxiety or simply help you to enjoy the moments. You also have specific meditations to overcome panic attacks and learn to deal with stress. You will also find yoga training and stretching.
In the premium version you can download it so you can listen offline.
The application is free, but to have access to most of the content you have to subscribe for the award-winning version which costs € 98.99 / year (7 days free for testing).
5. Headspace
Compatible with: iOS andAndroid
Youtube: Headspace
This application is considered one of the best for meditation. You have breathing exercises, meditations to help you sleep, to calm you down and even help you to control your urges to eat. One of the features of this application is also to have a section for high performance inspired by NBA players.
Headspace recently launched a series on Netflix where you always have some part of the episode that is a meditation.
The application is free, but to have access to most of the content you have to subscribe for the award-winning version which costs € 57.99 / year (14 days free to try).
Almost all applications have a YouTube channel with some meditations completely free. They can start with one of the YouTube channels or the Headspace series on Netflix.
The advantage of the application is that it increases the commitment to you because you already had an investment when purchasing the premium version and you can configure to receive notifications so that you do not forget to dedicate a minimum of 5 minutes to your mind.
Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water. Now you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup, you put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle, you put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend. Bruce Lee
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