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How to Practice Mindfulness in Daily Life
The importance of mental health is increasingly coming to the forefront of people’s minds. And with this, so is the attention to mindfulness. New scientific findings continually confirm the effectiveness of mindfulness in helping to reduce stress and boost health and happiness. So what exactly is mindfulness and how can you bring it into your days so you can feel more peace regardless of what goes on in your life?
Mindfulness is the practice of coming fully into the present moment. It’s a way of experiencing life as it is without resistance. While we would like to think otherwise, a lot of the stress and tension we feel in our lives is self-induced. When we resist what is, we feel disempowered. Through mindfulness, that resistance can melt away as we learn to be more accepting while also taking more responsibility for our own happiness.
Whether your intention is to not get stressed so easily, to be more focused, or to be kinder to yourself or others, mindfulness is a...
5 Ways to Keep Calm During the Election
With the election less than a couple of weeks away, it’s totally normal to be feeling overwhelmed and stressed by all the commotion. Nobody knows the outcome or its implications for the future of our country. But one thing is for sure - you can decide on the outcome of your own happiness, regardless of what happens this November.
You’ve probably been through other elections before. Perhaps you even remember some times of difficulty for the whole nation. Yet even through the toughest times – whether on a personal or a national level – you’ve made it to the other side. There’s no reason this time should be different. You are stronger than you think!
While it takes practice, it is possible to cultivate feelings of inner peace and calm even while the rest of the world is in fear. By working on strengthening your mental muscles of resilience, you’re doing something your future self will thank you for. You’re voting for your own...
How to Reduce Anxiety with Meditation
If you’re feeling more stress and anxiety than even before, you’re not alone. According to the latest study by the Census Bureau, a third of Americans are now showing signs of clinical anxiety or depression. Even before the pandemic, 1 in 4 Americans experienced depressed moods on a frequent basis. That has now doubled to every other American!
But the good news is that there are a lot of ways you can take care of your mental health so that you’re not part of this statistic. Meditation is scientifically proven to be one of them - and it doesn’t have to take more than 20-30 minutes of your day! When you feel more at peace, you will naturally radiate this to others in your life.
So what causes those feelings of anxiety, stress, or depression to begin with? While your life circumstances are certainly a factor, your reactions to them are even more essential. School probably didn’t teach you how to work with your inner mental dialogue to become more confident...
6 Ways Meditation Rewires Your Brain for Greater Happiness and Intelligence
While peacefully sitting in your meditation, you may not be aware of all the changes your brain is going through in that moment. Scientific evidence backing the beneficial effects of meditation seems to be coming out daily. Brain research provides us with a better understanding of how meditation causes changes such as helping us focus better or changing our long-term levels of happiness.
Just as we can strengthen our muscles, we can improve brain performance. Meditation is like a gym for our brains - making them bigger, smarter, and faster. The more we put those neurons to use, the stronger they get!
When you practice finding that space of calm within, you’re lifting the neural “muscles” of calm. And because this helps release stress, your body now has more energy to function at peak levels. When your brain doesn’t have to worry about fighting a threat (often nowhere to be found but in your mind), it can run much smoother!
Let’s look at six ways that...
3 Daily Practices to Boost Your Mental Well-Being
Your desire to feel good is not selfish or unimportant. It is as essential to your well-being as having a healthy body! Just as you can train your body to be stronger, you can train your mind to be less stressed, anxious, and reactive.
We all crave more calm and peace in our lives. For too long, society has not been placing enough importance on the role mental health plays in our overall well-being. As a result, there is an epidemic of loneliness, anxiety, and depression in the world. Yet as scientific research clearly shows, mental health and physical health are two sides of the same coin.
When you understand how your own happiness affects your health, you will be much better equipped to take care of it. We’ll give you a few simple practices you can do every day to help!
THE LINK BETWEEN HAPPINESS AND HEALTH
There is a tight connection between the mind and the body that science can no longer deny. As human beings, we come with it all. From the waves of emotion to the physical...
What to Expect When You Start Meditating
When you first start meditating, you probably wonder what should happen during your meditations. You may be asking yourself if what you’re experiencing is “normal.” And while everyone’s meditation experience is unique, there are a few things that almost every meditator encounters. Knowing what these are will help you ease your mind the next time you sit down for your practice.
It’s important to start with this: meditation isn’t about getting anywhere! In a sense, expecting something specific to happen or not happen in your meditation is an oxymoron. It can be hard for our mind to imagine not having a goal in mind.
We’re often conditioned to always have a target. But practicing meditation is about coming into the present moment to notice what is - without striving, judgement, or resistance. That is exactly why there is no right or wrong way to meditate.
Yes, there are many different types and styles of meditation. Some direct your...
