Meditation is one of my favorite forms of mind/body relaxation. It’s so easy! Meditation is a mental discipline during which you attempt to get beyond the conditioned ‘thinking’ mind into a deeper state of relaxation and or awareness. Meditation often involves turning attention to a single point of reference, such as the breath. There are many different meditation techniques. Experiment with different styles and positions until you find what works for you.

How to practice a simple breathing meditation

• Choose a quiet place and sit in a comfortable position. You can sit in a chair or in the traditional cross-legged posture or in any other position that is comfortable. The most important thing is to keep your back straight to prevent yourself from becoming sleepy.
• Give yourself a few moments to get comfortable and settle down.
• Close your eyes and turn your attention to your breathing.
• Breathe naturally, mouth gently closed, breath preferably through your nostrils, without attempting to control your breath.
• Become aware of the sensation of the breath as it enters and leaves your nostrils. On each exhale count, from one to ten. Try to concentrate on it to the exclusion of everything else. Just breathe and count.
• There will be a great temptation to follow the different thoughts as they arise, but instead try to remain focused on the counting of the breath.
• If you discover that your mind has wandered and is following your thoughts, you should return the mind, to the breath.
• Repeat this as many times as necessary until the mind settles on the counting of the breath.

Meditation has been practiced for thousands of years as a path to enlightenment, in today’s western society it is used as a tool for relaxation. Practiced regularly meditation can have a profound effect on your life. Bringing self awareness, inner peace, clarity of thought and an awareness of the body. Meditations like the body scan can be very useful for getting you in touch with your body.

If you think meditation might be something you would be interested in, I would recommend that you practice every day. Do your best to make meditation a part of your daily routine. If you find it tricky to find the time every day, use a combination of mindfulness and meditation.