Meditation 101: Two Benefits and Two Tools for Beginners
There are countless benefits of meditation. Two of the most rewarding - and beginner-friendly - benefits are stress reduction and enhanced decision-making. You can begin to reap these rewards by implementing these beginner-friendly tools today:
TOOL: THOUGHT-WATCHING
BENEFIT: STRESS REDUCTION
Stressful people are restless, irritable, and discontent. They often have trouble creating time and space for themselves. Mindfulness meditation can be as little as one minute long, and it will still offer the stress-laden person a moment of relief.
Right now, set an alarm for one minute on your phone, then place it face-down away from you, making sure the ringer is off. For the next 60 seconds, practice "watching" your thoughts. For example, some thoughts similar to these might pop up: "I have so much to do," or "this isn't working." Having thoughts is the brain's job, so don't worry when the thoughts come. Instead, "tag" them as precisely what they are - thoughts. Nothing more, nothing less.
Regularly practicing this exercise will help you to breathe through stressful situations and pause before making a decision or taking action impulsively.
TOOL: MANTRA
BENEFIT: ENHANCED DECISION MAKING
When we’re not present in the moment, we fall victim to our own reactive tendencies. These tendencies manifest in many different ways.
A mantra is an excellent tool for bettering your decision making. Before having to make a big decision, say to yourself, quietly or out loud, many times, "I make healthy and empowered decisions for myself." You might feel silly at first, but once you start using the mantra regularly, you'll get a sense of its power.
Beginning a meditation practice is less complicated than you might think and provides us with valuable gifts like stress reduction and enhanced decision making. By using simple tools, such as thought- watching and mantra, we see the rewards of meditating. In essence, when we're mindful in our decision-making processes, we allow ourselves the space necessary to make choices that empower us - rather than deplete us.
