I took a class many years ago in my educational journey on creativity in leadership.  One thing we learned – or practiced – was the art and science of meditation.  I thought at first this wasn’t for me – they seriously wanted me to sit still and “do nothing” for 15 minutes?! And to try to quiet my roving mind? I struggled with this at first and will admit it took me a number of years to really embrace the art of meditation.

Fast forward to my life now.  I love meditation!  I can’t say I practice it every day, but rather, several times a week.  One of my favorite times is after a yoga class, where I’m guided by my instructor to quietness and mindfulness. For me, meditation is helpful at bedtime, or in a busy afternoon.

As a holistic nutritionist, I value the physical impact meditation can have on an individual.  Meditation has been shown to:

  • Lower blood pressure
  • Improve the immune system
  • Increase and improve decision-making abilities
  • Decrease stress and its associated hormones, like cortisol
  • Increase mental alertness
  • Reduce internal inflammation
  • Promote an overall sense of happiness
  • Make you feel relaxed
  • Make you more compassionate

And, as with my class, it heightens creativity. 

If you’d like to give it a try, here are some basic steps.  In my class, we were instructed to sit comfortably in a chair, close our eyes and breathe normally – inhale…exhale.  I tried to clear my mind – I pictured an empty balloon or bubble in my head.  If my thoughts began to stray – “what will I have for dinner?” or “what will I do after this class?” – I acknowledged the thoughts, but pulled my mind back to my balloon/bubble.  And, I just kept breathing – inhale…exhale. Simply keep this up and let your mind rest for a bit.  Our brains work so hard – they love this oasis of peace every so often! 

It wasn’t easy, but after repeated attempts, I can say that meditation does get easier and begins to come more naturally.  Start small, with a time frame of as little as 5 minutes, and work up to 15 minutes – or more!  If you want to keep track of your time, set an alarm for 15-20 minutes.  If you finish early, that’s fine – honor your brain’s intuition that it’s been enough time for this session. You’ll end refreshed, centered, and ready to tackle the rest of your day or night!

To Your Vitality!

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