The practice of meditation has been around for thousands of years. Long viewed as a way to bring balance mentally, research is starting to show that there are a number of physical benefits as well.
There is a strong mind-body connection that impacts our health. Stress and depression have long been known to have a negative impact on a person’s overall health. The good news is that you can also use the mind to build a stronger, healthier body.
Just 12 minutes of meditation practice per day can help:
- Decrease stress and improve mood.
- Increase fertilitly.
- Improve digestion.
- Lower blood pressure.
- Decrease inflammation, helping with arthritis, heart disease, asthma.
- Increase immunity.
If you’re unsure of how to start an effective meditation practice, there are many resources available. Due to its increased popularity, you can find many practitioners who offer classes on how to start (there are many locally, including a class offered through the Shenendehowa Community Education program).
You also can find many guided meditation sessions online that you can stream through your computer, or download to your iPod/iPhone. These will use voice commands and soothing music to lead you and instruct you.
The Chopra Center also runs 21 day meditation challenges, following the 21 days to form a habit idea. Each day you receive an email with a link to a guided meditation session that lasts up to 15 minutes. The next challenge starts August 5th, but they run them frequently throughout the year.