I have always been a very active person so the idea of meditation and being still wasn’t something I was interested in. I played competitive sports for many years focusing only on the physicality and never really giving much thought to the mental aspect of what I was doing.
In 2014 my wife and I decided to try something called Transcendental Meditation. It was a weeklong program where each day we learned meditation techniques from an instructor and then practiced what we learned by doing a 20-minute meditation session at home. The first couple of days were hard for me as I couldn’t get out of my “head” but on the third day I had a breakthrough and began to push thoughts and distractions from my mind. It was so relaxing, like being in a state somewhere between asleep and awake. I began to feel less stress and had more control over my thoughts.
The basic approach of Transcendental Meditation is to create your own unique mantra, sit comfortably and quietly and begin to push away any thoughts that pop up into the mind by repeating and focusing on the mantra completely. The mantra is designed to calm the mind and help you to achieve a state of stillness and consciousness.
Meditation can have many positive effects on the body and mind. It can help to reduce stress and anxiety, increase your attention span, mental stamina, and strength, and help you to focus under pressure. I encourage everyone to try meditation, and if it’s for you, make it part of your self-care routine. There are many helpful apps available that can help guide you along the way.
Happy meditating!
