It is said that meditation is the best gift you can give yourself. And that has never been more true than now. As 2020 continues to chug along with bad news after bad news and incredible disruptions to our daily lives, maybe it’s time to take a break. Here are a few reasons why now is the best time to learn how to meditate.
1. Stress management
Stress and anxiety do more than just reduce your quality of life. They also weaken your immune system and increase your risk of developing many types of disease, including cardiovascular problems, which — according to 2017 data from the CDC — is the leading cause of death among Americans. In that year, heart diseases killed over 600.000 people. In the same year, car accidents killed 40.000.
Of the many benefits associated with meditation, stress relief is one of the most well documented. It’s been found that regularly practicing mindful meditation leads to a decline in stress levels and the level of stress hormones in your bloodstream.
On top of that, learning how to clear your mind can give you some moments peace on your busiest days. Enough to help you regain some energy and prepare to face the next challenges.
2. Reduces anxiety
Stress and anxiety often go hand in hand, since the hormones that cause the first tend to also cause or accentuate the latter. As such, meditation has a positive effect on both. It was also shown to have a positive impact in the treatment of depression, especially depression-related pains.
3. Fall asleep more easily
There are many potential causes of insomnia. And while some people just can’t fall asleep no matter how tired or calm they are, others are kept awake by stress and worry. Anxiety can lead to an overactive mind, and having too many concerns is a great way to stay awake until three in the morning staring at the ceiling.
Meditation can help relieve all of that. It will take some practice, but once you gain more mastery over your mind, you should be able to calm yourself down at night. No one is saying you should ignore your problems, but there is a time to work and a time to rest. Meditating can help you compartmentalize these two.
4. Pain management
Chronic pain conditions can severely damage your quality of life, and pain medications can harm your health in many different ways. Luckily, meditation is an effective pain management solution, able to alleviate the symptoms of many painful conditions.
It won’t erase your pain, necessarily. But it can alleviate the symptoms, helping you rely less on painkillers, or maybe switch to weaker — and less harmful — medications.
5. Boost your workout
Don’t be fooled by the classic image of a yogi sitting cross-legged. You can meditate on your feet, or even when working out. It’s just a matter of learning the proper way to place your focus. You won’t be able to reach quite the level of calm you do when meditating without moving, but you can reap some of the benefits.
Chiefly, meditation can help you push through pain and silence the voice in your mind that wants you to give up. And after the workout, relaxing through meditation can aid your recovery, just like natural remedies like CBD. If you haven’t tried the latter yet, you should visit Cibdol.com.
