Health and Wellness Review

Often our lives gets so busy that we forget to take time out simply to reflect or to be still. Countless studies on meditation confirm for us the power of taking this time out to decrease our stress and increase well being.

For many it is simply the question, "Where do I start?" Meditation is not something that needs to be complicated. You already have everything in your home that you need to begin your practice today.

To start meditation as a part of your everyday life, choose a place in your home where you can meditate comfortably. After choosing this space, you may like to place a photograph of a place or a person that inspires peace. You may also like to light a candle to signify the 'illumination' that you may reach through your regular meditation practice. I also like to have books that support my practice nearby and read a passage before my meditation to set my intention.

You can use folded blankets, a bolster or a meditation cushion to sit either cross legged or in a kneeling fashion. If either of these are uncomfortable, use a chair or sit against a wall. Remember that the stability of your body will reflect the stability of your mind. You want to be as comfortable as possible and sit in a way that allows your chest to be open so that your breath can travel through your body with ease.

Choose a time of day that works well for you. If you are a morning person, begin your practice when you first wake up. If you are an evening person, try the afternoon or shortly before going to sleep. Experiment with different times of the day to find what suits your schedule, home and body.

Start by meditating for a short period of time each day. A little bit often is much better than nothing at all. And quite often, if you intend to sit for five minutes, you may find yourself sitting for longer. Starting out with five minutes will help in ensure that you make your way to your cushion more regularly. Over time increase the length of time that you are meditating for. I enjoy daily twenty to thirty minute sessions.

When you are ready to meditate, close your eyes gently and take three deep breaths, imagining that all the tension is leaving your body. Come to focus on your inhale and exhale. In order to focus the mind, it may help to say the words 'in' silently to yourself on the in breath and 'out' on the out breath.

You will notice that your mind will become distracted within your meditation. When this happens, gently bring the focus back to your breath. Let any thoughts fall away like Autumn leaves from a tree.

You may need to bring your mind back to your breath several times throughout your meditation; this is normal. Your meditations will change every day, depending on what is going on in your life and in your body. Be gentle with yourself. As you practice more and more, you will find that connecting with your breath will become easier.

When you finish your meditation, you may like to bring your hands into the prayer position at your heart center and bow your head or your body. Take this moment to give thanks for this time of quiet and the opportunity to connect with your breath. To further support your practice it can be very beneficial to seek out a meditation group in your local community. Most of all, let this new peace flow out into the rest of your life as well.

About the Author:

Christina Adler is a yoga and meditation teacher with her master's degree in psychology. She has lived in Sydney, Australia for the past thirteen years where she was the manager of a well-known yoga center. She has recently moved back to the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband where she enjoys her work as a life coach, writer and yoga teacher.

Learn more about life balance by visiting Christina's website at www.everydaybalance.net.

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