One Simple Change: Quiet Time/Meditation

February 2, 2017 Diana Schwarzlose

Quieting your mind is absolutely key to keeping yourself balanced and sane. Every day we have thoughts and tasks that create chaos in our brains, thus making what many call the "monkey mind." Mingyur Rinpoche is a Tibetan Buddhist Master who does a great job of explaining the monkey mind and how to calm it the heck down in this 1:47 min video.

"We keep hearing how meditation is good for body and spirit (if you have not already heard, raises immunity and brain function, relieves depression and problems with blood pressure, reduces the negative impact of stress, helps in the fight against addiction, relieves PMS, prolongs life ...) but when you think of the daily half-hour (or more) spent in an uncomfortable position, while trying to clear the head of all thoughts and concentrate can be a little difficult. The truth is that meditation does not to be like that!" -video caption

The gist of it is...simply be aware of your breath. THAT is the key. He goes on to explain that you can be doing anything, even talking to people or presenting at a work meeting, as long as you are aware of your breath.

I've explained in a previous post about the effects of being in a chronic low-stress state and what it can do to our physical bodies. The effects are intense, but you have control over how you/your body responds to stress. You basically trick your body into thinking you are calm and have it all together just by slowing down your breath. Your body says, "I know I'm stressed, but I'm breathing like a calm person, so I must be calm!" and then it stops releasing all the stress hormones. It really can be that simple.

In addition to the breath, I always want to encourage you to believe/trust in a someone greater than yourself. I, personally, am all in on Jesus. He is my jam, and I am nothing without Him. With that said, it's not everyone's belief and I respect where you are; however, I still encourage you to go beyond yourself and seek a faith that pierces your heart. We were created with this innate need, and when we quiet our minds, it's nice to have something greater than ourselves to seek out and "meet with" in our quiet time. It's amazing what I hear from the Lord when I just simply sit and listen.

Perhaps meditating or taking 10 minutes of quiet time each day this week can be one simple change that you implement that can drastically change your mood, your perspective, and your physical well-being. You don't have to take my word for it, this article explains five health benefits of just 10 minutes a day. Here are a few things you have to look forward to if you want to make this a new habit!

Heart health: meditation triggers the 'relaxation response' and lowers your heart rate, thus putting you in a healing state and increasing immunity
Lowering anxiety: being aware of your breath makes you feel more in control and give you something other than your fears to focus on
Decreasing pain: when you breath intentionally, you can "send" that breath to a specific place in your body. By doing that, you can picture that breath piercing that specific place, like your neck or shoulders, and visualize it opening up that space. That breath is healing, the oxygen is life to that space, so allow it to work it's magic and begin to heal that pain.

I hope this encourages you to take 10 minutes each day to simply BE. Just allow your mind to take a break from the chaos and enjoy the practice of meditation and focus on your breath. If you have any questions about this or how breathing techniques can help you lose weight and heal your body, email me and let's chat!