How to Start Meditating - Understanding the Benefits of Meditation & Belly Breathing

I've always wanted to learn to meditate. Not simply because of the mystical powers meditation is supposed to unleash (insert Asian kung fu movie reference), but because I wanted to learn more about myself.

I've discovered that mediation is simple. 

Meditation begins with allowing yourself to disconnect from this reality, from the chaos that makes up your life. We are all overwhelmed with stress but often neglect to acknowledge it because of how we are socialized to be strong. brave and hard. But the truth is, we are human. We are soft, full of love, feelings, and emotions. 

Many of us find ourselves working long hours, always chasing happiness, but the truth is happiness starts within. Everything beautiful starts within you. 

We forget that we are all miracles, full of light. We are born to be as we are, great. 

We forget to appreciate the things that are most important to us, we forget our own importance. 

As people, we are too busy to stop and take care of ourselves. Many experience anxiety and depression, we can't figure out how to enjoy life and simply be happy. This is because we are looking in the wrong places. We must start our search from within, we all are born with inclinations and instincts that bring us joy, but we forget how to be non-judgemental and simply enjoy. Instead of living in the moment, we focus on our worries, the problems of the future or we cling on to things in the past we cannot change. All these forms of thinking are detrimental to our mental health as it takes us away from our present moment. We can't appreciate what's happening if we are never present. 

Meditation is about being present in the moment. Mediation is about acknowledging your current self and surroundings and feeling grateful for being alive. Your life is a gift, and how you choose to live your life is your joy. 

Meditation is difficult but with practice, you will find moments of relief from this chaotic world, a moment of peace. 

Peace starts with you. 

Meditation Starts with Breathing

Breathing relaxes the nervous system, it's how we communicate with our body. Breath is our body's language. Giving your body more air allows it to oxygenate your blood, allowing for more blood flow and cell renewal. Oxygen is vital to our organs and our body functions. When we are stressed we hold our breath as if we were running because we are in our instinctual "fight" or "flight mode". It's not often that we are relaxed enough to breathe properly, relaxing reduces stress on your body and organ, allowing your body to function better. Improving your ability to attain air and help you achieve a more peaceful and calm state of mind. Release yourself from the problems that burden your mind every day with mediation. 

Belly Breathing & Meditating

How to Start Meditating

1. Sit in a comfortable position in a comfortable environment (on the floor or in a chair)
2. Engage your spine, sit tall
3. Lower your shoulders and relax your hands on your thigh
4. Take a deep inhalation through your nose
5. Hold it for a second or two
6. Deeply release the breath through your mouth
7. Continue this breathing until you feel calmer, while solely trying to focus on your breath
8. Refocus on your breath every time your mind wanders, let all your negativity and stress release as your exhale
9. This is the time for yourself, to appreciate yourself and to work on your body
10. Practice this every day for 6-8 full breaths 
11. Use this practice to relieve your mind when you feel overwhelmed and anxious
12. All things will past, remind yourself "you are safe and perfect in this moment"

Belly Breathing Tip:

1) Try to lengthen the inhalation each time, push your breath into your upper belly, raise your upper belly with the air, then try to suck in your lower belly as you exhale through your mouth

2) You can make the sound "OM" as you exhale to help relax your throat muscles and keep your mind focus on a task as it wanders

How Meditation Changed My Life

Happiness is all in Your Mind

Meditation is simple. It's putting yourself in a peaceful state of mind.

You cannot control things that happen to you, you cannot control what people do and think. All you can control is yourself, and how you respond to the world around you. And in turn, the positivity you radiate will affect how the world responds to you.

So I try extra hard each day to have a positive peaceful state of mind.

My current Mantra: "Peace Starts, With Me"
(Borrowed from @WHOWOREWHAT Podcast about Mediation)

Try This Exercise:

Fill your inside with the light.
Breath in through your nose, repeat "Peace Starts,".
Breath out through your mouth "With Me".
And exhale the negativity.


May peace be with you. 

xoxo J