Meditation is a recognized form of treatment and healing anyone can practice. The National Center for Complementary and Integrated Health points to its proven benefits like treatment for physical ailments including high blood pressure, pain, and gastrointestinal issues as well as mental health issues like anxiety, depression, and insomnia.
Guided meditation is your way to open your mind, accept the path you’re on, and better reflect on what you need and how you are feeling. Your meditation can be guided through audio, video, written text, and a mix of all. It is helpful to have guidance to count breaths, direct thought processes, and feel peaceful. We are sharing some expert tips and insights to ensure you get the most out of your meditation.
What is Guided Meditation?
Guided meditation is the act of meditating with guidance in one way or another. You might be guided with music, spoken or written word, or video. The guidance helps you to stay on track and bring you to the mindset you need to be in for meditation.
Healthline designates six specific types of meditations including:
- Mindfulness: Pay attention to your thoughts as they come, accept thoughts and concentrate and practice awareness.
- Spiritual: Seek a deeper connection to the world and God.
- Focused: Focus attention on one thing.
- Movement: Movement guides your meditation, this can be a walk on a path, stretching, etc.
- Mantra: Repetition to clear your mind.
- Transcendental: Customizable for your personal mantra.
Each of these types can be done with guided assistance to make sure you are successful in your meditation goals.
Why Meditate?
Why meditate? As mentioned, there are countless studies that show the mental and physical health benefits meditation can foster. Mindfulness and meditation can be done anywhere, anytime, and are one way to cope with current stress or better prepare yourself for difficult life events.
Meditation practices have been around since ancient times and still prove to be popular. In fact, the 2017 National Health Interview Survey showed an increase in adults and children practicing meditation from years 2012 to 2017.
The short answer is meditation will:
- Increase internal and external awareness
- Reduce stress
- Help you cope
- Develop concentration
- Provide positive self-care
- Relieve pain
How to Get Started?
Meditation practice isn’t just for yoga enthusiasts. You, too, can successfully meditate and reap the benefits mentally and physically. If you are interested in giving meditation a try, it has never been so easy. Apps on your mobile device will provide you with guided meditation with the tap of a screen.
Meditation is all about turning inward, listening to your mind and body, and going beyond them to a mindset of peace and exploration of the inner self. With that said, it’s not easy to control the mind and aim it where you want it to go.
Here are some helpful considerations and steps to take for your first meditation:
Why
First of all, what is your “why?” Do you want to work through tough emotions? Relieve stress? Help with physical pain? You will want to establish a reason (or two) for your practice. This will not only help you identify the type of meditation you will do, but will give you some accountability and a goal to work toward.
What
What kind of meditation are you planning on doing? You will want to determine which type of meditation practice will help you meet your “why.” For example, if you need more focus in your life, a focused practice would be best for you.
Additionally, you should find any and all guides you want. There are many apps, like Mooditude, that can guide your breathing, provide music and direct thoughts.
Where
Meditation can be done anywhere you have the ability to be left alone, quiet, and comfortable.
When
If you’re serious about meditation practice, plan ahead for when you’ll be dedicating time to it. With the use of apps for guided meditation like Mooditude, you can set reminders and see your progression of successful meditation.
Find Your Peace
Meditation will undoubtedly have a positive impact on your life but it’s up to you to get started. So what are you waiting for? You are so close to finding the peace you are looking for. Add meditation practice to your toolbox of helpful coping mechanisms and mood boosters.
Download our app for customizable tools to build resilience to your emotions, keep you accountable, and have guided practices in the palm of your hand.
