Meditation is often perceived as such a mundane, difficult, and impossible task for many people. It’s almost like it’s a bit of a taboo to even mention meditation, people seem to group it in with witchcraft and wizardry. The fact is that you don’t need to be Harry Potter or Buddha to meditate and you certainly don’t need to be remotely good at it to feel the benefits. The truth of the matter is; meditation is a practice.
Were you able to write your own name at birth? Did David Beckham fall into being a great footballer without trying? Do you start a degree knowing everything you need to know about a subject and write a 10,000-word dissertation with your eyes closed in a day? No.
We learn from making mistakes and failing. You can start meditation right now (well, finish reading this first, yeah?) and you’ll probably not have a clue what to do. If you do you’ll probably be distracted pretty quickly by something around you or thoughts racing through your mind. The great news is, these days you can get an app for that, obviously. There are a number of apps including Headspace, Calm and Buddhist Meditation Trainer. Most apps are free to a certain level then if you want to upgrade as you improve there is always the option.
Meditation or a method we know as ‘Mindfulness’ has hit the mainstream in recent years through colouring books which Is a great way to easily shift focus and most people probably didn’t even know they were doing it as they innocently coloured in their pictures of cats. If you can’t get the app or want to ease in, grab a colouring book and try that first! But progression would be extremely beneficial.
There is loads of scientific evidence behind Mindfulness and Meditation and it can be extremely beneficial to almost all, if not every aspect of our lives. It can manage your anger, it can improve sleep, develop your memory and so much more. The brain is a very powerful tool that we often underrate massively. Untrained the brain can cause havoc and make our lives very difficult. If we use meditation to train our minds, the possibilities are endless. Just remember it’s something that takes time, practice and perseverance.
So try it today and give it a chance.
