Are you happy today?
How is your mental weather; a bit cloudy or hazy, or bright sunshine?
This week’s mental sunshine tip is one that might not sound like your cup of tea. However…
Meditation…
When we hear the word “meditation” we might think of a monk chanting “Ommmmmmm” for hours at a time in the lotus position – Actually, it doesn’t have to be like that at all.
There are loads of free apps around these days that can provide you with guided meditations to help you to relax, to calm anxiety, to sleep or to wake up.
And you don’t need to be able to bend yourself into a pretzel either; you can meditate in whatever position is most comfortable.
Many studies have shown that meditation can help to lower blood pressure, reduce stress and anxiety, lengthen our attention span, improve our memory, improve sleep and even control pain.
“Meditation” encompasses all of these things and more – and when done regularly it can help us to feel more calm and in control of ourselves and our reactions to the world around us.
Photography is a form of meditation for me – seeing & capturing the beauty that surrounds us
If you fancy getting started, why not try out an app to help you. Insight Timer is free and has lots of free guided meditations. Headspace has a 7-day free trial so that you can see what you think before you sign up. The Calm app allows you access to several features without purchase.
Top tip: if you have any sort of health or life insurance, check out whether they offer free accounts with meditation apps!
It can take a bit of daily practice to get into a space of calmness. Do persist though, as when it comes, you’ll be able to quieten the mind in almost any situation.
Find it hard to stay still? Try a walking meditation instead!
Take yourself off to your favourite beauty spot and take a short walk where you are really present with the world around you.
Any time your mind wanders off (which it will do, a lot!) just remind yourself that you’re busy appreciating the world around you right now.
For me, photography is a bit like meditation in that it really brings me into the present where nothing else is a cause of disturbance.
So, while you’re out there, take a photo of something beautiful and post it in our Facebook group
