MEDITATION

MEDITATION

Quietly sitting and breathing allows clarity of thought but it also provides physical changes that take place within the body and are significant as the body relaxes and begins to function more naturally. Meditation is important because it releases tension and stress and it turns attention inwards making your mind aware of your physical body. OnFitness supports meditation because it says that it allows thought to pass without becoming attached to them; meaning that you release them before you can dwell on them. When your mind must focus on your breathing, the thoughts flow and you can find a deep inner stillness. According to the article in the August edition of OnFitness it says that as the mind settles, the breathing begins to get stronger. During meditation your abdomen, torso, and chest are able to relax and allow you to take a deeper breath and increase the amount of oxygen that is brought into your lungs. A deeper breath promotes the parasympathetic nervous system, which is your relaxation response that helps decrease blood pressure, slow heart rate and aid in digestion. While meditating it is important to center your focus. Here are some general points and qualities of breathing.

1.       DEEP AND LONG: making the breath deep and long helps draw the air fully and completely within the body. Keep the chest and surrounding muscles relaxed to allow for the breath to expand within you.

2.       SILENT AND SLOW: focus on making breaths silent and slow allowing deeper relaxation. The silent breath is felt with the whole body instead of being heard. Allowing for you to feel the sensation of your lungs being filled.

3.       EVEN AND CONTINUOUS: making the breath even and continuous brings completeness to the actual breathing process. This allows thoughts to flow with the breath; inhalation creates exhalation which in turn creates inhalation (cycle). This teaches you to breathe effectively and allowing your lungs to reach their full capacity. Sit and breathe for 5 minutes a day. If you can’t seem to find five minutes for meditation try to just sit for 10 minutes without doing anything.

 

 

*For more information on meditation take a look at the August edition of OnFitness magazine.