Meditation for Stress
Stress is a natural response of the body when you face a change or a challenge. Stress can be positive and negative. Positive stress keeps you alert and motivated. It turns negative when the stress keeps you up at night and makes you anxious and restless.
For instance, it is not bad to be minorly “stressed” over an impending deadline. It indeed helps you focus on certain tasks on priority. It becomes a problem only when you get anxious about your work – how you may do it, what if you cannot, etc.
While on this, you should know that long period of even “good” stress is not good either. It keeps the amygdala – a portion of the brain that handles our emotional responses – elevated constantly, leading to frequent incidents of anxiety and restlessness.
Recognizing good and bad stress and responding accordingly in the daily humdrum is easier said than done. This is why you should practice meditation for stress management. Meditation for stress protects you from falling into stress traps by regulating amygdala activity. Much like how dieting or walking helps by improving your body’s metabolism to guard you against poor health.
How to know if you are stressed?
Strangely, you are rarely the first person to know you are stressed; your family or friends always notice your inner struggle. However, stress leaves its footprints through certain symptoms which you should not ignore; instead, seek a cure through meditation for stress.
- Irritability
- Headaches and migraine
- High blood pressure
- Feeling dull
- Unhealthy behavior like binge eating, excessive drinking
- Avoiding social interactions
What does meditation for stress do?
Meditation for stress calms your mind and makes you feel relaxed. You will experience an inner peace that you hadn’t felt until then. A natural fallout of such a tranquil state is the ability to think clearly and rationally in all situations. Minus confusion, agitation, and haste.
Scientific studies have also proven that “meditation has been reported to produce positive effects on psychological well-being that extend beyond the time the individual is formally meditating”.
How does meditation for stress go about this?
At a broad level, meditation for stress trains you to observe the several thoughts that cross your mind without judging or analyzing them. You will also learn to notice the mental patterns that are formed in different situations. Meditation does this to help you become less affected by your thoughts.
An important role of meditation is to increase the mental “space”. This will help you sort your thoughts, fears, and worries that trigger stress. By becoming aware of your stress points, your natural response in any situation will be to:
Pause – Observe the happenings in your mind without being affected.
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Probe – Is the surmise of my situation real or perceived?
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Proceed – Decision guided by reason, not emotion
The above process may after all look very logical, which indeed it is. But the ability to make this your mind’s default setting can be gained only through meditation.
Where to begin – Heartfulness Meditation for Stress
Heartfulness Meditation for Stress prepares you to face any situation confidently, and not be covered by them. You learn to become dispassionate about situations and people that once caused anxiety. And turn more compassionate towards yourself and others.
Sitting in silence even for a short period could be daunting when you begin meditating for the first time. But you would soon discover how just sitting motionless has brought a certain calmness to your mind. By practicing daily, you will see your transformation into a person of poise and confidence.
Heartfulness meditation requires three must-dos:
- Practice daily. Start with shorter sessions, and increase the duration gradually.
- Just watch your thoughts. Don’t judge or analyze.
- Seat yourself comfortably in a quiet place. Anything or anyone that distracts should be away.
Removing your shoes, jewelry, or any apparel that restricts movement is advisable. After choosing a time and place for your daily Heartfulness meditation for stress, follow these four steps:
Choose a comfortable position
- Some people sit cross-legged with their backs straight on the floor. You can, however, choose your comfortable posture. Floor, sofa, or armchair – anything is fine.
- Sit with your legs extended out, and your back erect.
- Don’t be too comfortable; you may fall asleep. You can change your position at any time if you feel uncomfortable.
Bring your attention to here and now
Sit comfortably and quietly. Direct your attention inwards. Close your eyes and concentrate on the divine light within. If you find your mind straying, bring back your focus inward. Once you’re aware of the divine light and the pull it has on you, relax by allowing it to go deeper.
Recognize your thoughts
In the initial days, you may feel a surge of emotions like worry and self-judgment. Am I doing it right? What am I supposed to do? Recognize this inner conflict. Don’t suppress or answer it. It will disappear on its own. Doing so will teach you to handle difficult people and situations without reacting. Soon, you will feel calmer and less anxious. Complete your Heartfulness Meditation for Stress
Open your eyes when you feel you’ve reached the end of meditation or the necessary amount of time has passed. Do some light stretches to ease yourself gradually from your meditative state. Reflect on your practice for a moment.
Begin by meditating for three to five minutes a day. As you become comfortable, increase the duration to 15 minutes, then to 30 minutes, and 45 minutes after that.
How will Heartfulness App help
Heartfulness App helps people attain their peak performance through meditation. Daily meditation for stress with Heartfulness App boosts your cognitive and emotional health through guided, self-care meditation.
All you need is a phone with an internet connection. Meditating with Heartfulness app is easy, effective, and FREE.
The app has everything you need to get the best from your meditation time.
- Set your meditation goals
- Track your performance in the app journal
- Meditate in private or in a group
- Take the help of a trainer
When can I see the results?
You will experience calm and clarity during and soon after meditation. Many scientific studies have also testified that regularly practicing meditation for stress reduction shows results within a few weeks.
Much like how you look after your body’s health, invest in your mental health too through meditation for stress. Meditate regularly. Stay healthy in body & mind.
It is free for life. Schedule a session. Feel the change. Download the App Now.
