What Is Meditation?
While there is no exact definition, meditation is a practice that involves focusing the mind and achieving a state of deep relaxation and mental clarity. It helps cultivate mindfulness and self-awareness by directing attention to the present moment, often through techniques such as breath control or guided imagery.
What Does Meditation Do?
In recent years, meditation has gained significant attention for its ability to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. While the practice seems to be becoming more mainstream, only around 275 million people globally—about 6% of the world’s population—meditate regularly. However, this number continues to grow, and it’s expected to reach 8% in the coming decade as more people discover the transformative power of meditation in their daily lives.
The Stigma Around Meditation
Despite the growing popularity of meditation, there is still a lingering stigma that it’s only for the spiritually enlightened or those deeply rooted in religious practices. While meditation does have ancient spiritual origins, particularly in India where it is connected to traditions like Hinduism and Buddhism, it has evolved significantly. As meditation has made its way to the Western world, it has become more accessible and widely embraced for its mental and physical health benefits, often even practiced without the religious or spiritual associations.
The Role of Meditation Apps in Modern Life
Thanks to meditation apps like Headspace and Calm, we can now easily access guided meditation practices tailored for the Western world. These tools help us manage the pressures of modern society, where burnout is a common challenge. According to studies, meditation has been shown to significantly reduce stress and burnout, making it a powerful remedy for the fast-paced work culture we navigate today.
Overcoming the Initial Challenges of Meditation
For many, the idea of sitting down to meditate for the first time can feel intimidating. It’s normal to feel overwhelmed, with the very emotions and thoughts you’re trying to escape becoming even more intense. You may find yourself asking, “Why would I do this?” Having started just over four years ago and developing a daily practice since then, I understand exactly how challenging the beginning can be. While meditation can be difficult at first, it’s one of the most impactful tools in personal development that has stayed with me, helping me every day.
Though other methods like therapy, coaching, and acupuncture can be incredibly beneficial, I believe meditation is the most powerful because it requires nothing but yourself. Through meditation, you grow from within, rediscovering that sense of inner calm that’s always been there. It allows you to grow from within, and the best part? It’s free. My mission is to guide people through the tough initial phase of starting a meditation practice by sharing everything that helped me and continues to help me as I deepen my knowledge and practice.
Learn How To Meditate
Whether you want to start meditating to ease anxiety, reduce stress, or discover your true self, the easiest way to begin this transformative journey is with guided meditations. You can explore guided sessions on my YouTube channel, as well as through apps like Headspace and Calm, which offer meditations tailored to specific needs. Try different ones to see what resonates with you, and once you find one you enjoy, stick with it to deepen your practice.
In the beginning, your body and mind may resist, as they’re not used to sitting still. If sitting cross-legged feels uncomfortable, start by lying down and gradually transition to sitting with pillows under your legs for support. Meditating first thing in the morning can be particularly effective, as your mind is most receptive after sleep. Soon, you’ll realize that meditation is for everyone, not just those with a spiritual or religious background.
Happy meditating!