5 Benefits of Guided Meditation

For the longest time, my best friend has been telling me that I need to meditate because I'm always stressed about something. I would listen to her but I always thought meditation was used as a substitute for prayer and I can't live without God. My relationship with Him isn't the strongest, but it's definitely getting there. My spiritual journey has taken some time but once I started to research the difference between the two, I found that they can coexist in life without one being mistaken for the other.

So what is meditation? Meditation is a practice where an individual uses a technique - such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state, according to wikipedia.

I recently started practicing meditation because as hard as it is for me to admit when someone is right, I was stressing too much over things that were out of my control. I downloaded the Calm app from the Google play store and have been hooked ever since. Today, we'll discuss what I've learned about myself since I started meditating. I hope that I can inspire you to jump on the the meditation train and learn something about yourself.

Stress Reduction

I have a tendency to stress over things completely out of my control. After my first session with the Calm app, I felt different. I couldn't explain how my body felt but I knew that a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. I notice a difference in the way I analyze problems as they arise. I don't feel so anxious anymore. I also have noticed a difference at how much I get angry at things. The smallest little things don't annoy me as much. Not to say that I'm a hot head or anything...I'm human!

Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash

Inner Peace

I feel more at peace with who I am and the things I do. I don't compare my life's accomplishments to other people because I am at peace with where I am in life. I can truly be happy for others as they go through life and be positive in knowing those things will come for me.

Deeper Relaxation For Sleeping

I find that I'm able to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer throughout the night when I meditate throughout the day. That says a lot when I have a toddler that wakes up periodically through the night because he thinks it's time to play. Focusing on your breathing has so much to do with it. I also spray lavender to my pillow case at night to take me into a deeper sleep. It's also a practice I've started with my children too. After we say our prayers at night, we take deep inhales to shake off the day...with a little help with lavender of course. They don't even realize I'm prepping them for bed (teehee).

More Focus

I'm able to focus more when I meditate before and during tasks. I get more done and I'm more alert. I find that I'm able to fully engulf myself into my work, whether it be school or blogging. The end result is quality work and better content.

Personal Growth

If I had to choose one thing I've learned about myself since practicing meditation, it's I'm more focused. Being more focused has increased my consistency in some aspects of life and that's a plus. If you recall, one of my main resolutions for 2018 was to be organized and consistent. I can definitely tell a difference in the last month that I've been meditating.

​ I suggest giving it a try. Meditating has definitely changed my thinking, how I approach issues and how I problem solve. How many of you currently practice meditation? Let's talk by leaving me a comment below. What have you learned about yourself through mediation? Let me know! Until next time...