We hear so much about the wonders of
meditation – it will help us sleep, make us more creative, lower our blood
pressure, alleviate depression and more – but how many of us actually take the
time to do nothing but focus on our breath for more than a few moments?
Why not give it a try? Here are some introductory
videos to get you started!
(You'll need Adobe Flash Player to see them on this site, or you can click on the title of the video to open a YouTube window)
One-moment meditation
An engagingly-presented animated video on learning to meditate, starting with a one-minute practice meditation and lots of reassurance.
Beginner’s Guide
Anyone can follow the five easy steps described (and drawn!) in this video to get comfortable, optionally listen to binaural frequencies (to block out extraneous noise) and breathe deeply.
Mindfulness
A live video in which an experienced teacher provides some details (at the beginner level) on techniques for sitting properly, focusing on your breathing, and labelling your thoughts as two students demonstrate.
There are many free resources for
meditation on the internet. You can listen to or download free guided
meditations, such as the one here: Free Mindfulness Resources. To find more just type something like “meditation download” in a search engine.
And if you’re not convinced about the
benefits of meditation, here are some links to articles backed by solid
research:
- The science behind meditation, and why it makes you feel better
- 7 Health Benefits of Meditation
- Mindfulness Meditation Benefits: 20 ReasonsWhy It's Good For Your Mental And Physical Health
- Strongest Study Yet Shows Meditation CanLower Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke
So, perhaps it's time to go do nothing for a while!
