Meditation
Before we can meditate, we need to learn to relax. A relaxed person is far more efficient, motivated and aware then a stressed out one. Relaxed is not the same as lazy. It does not mean dropping off to sleep at the drop of a pin or that you don’t have a care in the world. Nor does meditation have to be in the crossed leg shoalin monk under a silver poled pyramid fashion, or to be thought of as an act performed only by tree hugging hippies. Professional athletes meditate as part of their training.
One method of relaxing to meditate is ‘progressive muscle relaxation’. This involves tensing each muscle group slowly and then relaxing the muscle group before moving onto the next – feet, legs, mid section, chest, shoulders, neck and face. You hold the tensed muscle group for about 6 seconds, before relaxing it and moving onto the next. You want to inhale the positivity and exhale the negativity.
If performed properly and over a long period of time it has been proven to improve recovery from hard sessions, illness or injury, and significantly reduce stress hormone levels – cortisol and insulin, which derail metabolism and increase fat storage.
Living in the world we live in it is difficult to clear your head of all thoughts. The best and most practical way to try is to sit in a comfortable position, close your eyes and concentrate on your breathing. Be aware of nothing in your environment except your breathing pattern and do this for 15 mins a day minimum, until you become better at ‘switching off’.
The benefits are an increase in melatonin, which maintains your immune system, promotes deep peaceful sleep and slows cell damage and ageing. Meditation, even in this small form, is beneficial to the maintenance of an internal equilibrium. – Brett