Meditation for health, healing and relaxing

At some point in our life we all wonder, whether I am leading a healthy lifestyle? How high is my  healthy lifestyle quotient and how can I improve it? Is it the only the food we eat and exercise we do? Of course, but is there more to it?

This article is intended to focus light on a part of fitness that is often ignored: that of mental health, stability, and wellness. There is something which can definitely help you improve your healthy lifestyle quotient is the 'practice of meditation'.

“Meditation is a technique for quieting the mind, shutting down the mind chanter so that we can be still and 100% present with the now” says Dr. Robert Puff, Meditation Expert.

Concentration meditation

Concentration meditation involves focusing on a single point. It includes following the breath, repeating a single word or mantra, staring at a candle flame, listening to a repetitive gong, or counting beads on a mala. Since focusing the mind is challenging, so you simply refocus your awareness on the chosen object of attention each time you notice your mind wandering. This type of meditation improves your concentration ability.

          

Mindfulness meditation

Mindfulness meditation encourages the practitioner to observe wandering thoughts as they drift through the mind. The intention is not to get involved with the thoughts or to judge them, but simply to be aware of each mental note as it arises. This meditation makes you more aware of the human tendency to quickly judge an experience as good or bad, pleasant or unpleasant. With practice, an inner balance develops.

How to get started?

We all know that relaxation is good for us. So let’s start practicing it. For beginners, concentration meditation is good to take a start.

1. Choose a convenient time and quiet place( indoors or outdoors)
2. Sit or lie comfortably.
3. Keep a relatively empty stomach
4. Close your eyes.
5. Take a few deep breaths
6. Now make no effort to control the breath; simply breathe naturally.
7. Focus your attention on the breath and on how the body moves with each inhalation and exhalation. Notice the movement of your body as you breathe. Simply focus your attention on your breath without controlling its pace or intensity. If your mind wanders, return your focus back to your breath.
8. Keep a gentle smile on your face
9. Open your eyes slowly and gently
10.  Maintain this meditation practice for two to three minutes to start, and then try it for longer periods.

Benefits of meditation:

 

• Lowers blood pressure
• Improved blood circulation
• Lower heart rate
• Less perspiration
• Less anxiety
• Lower blood cortisol levels
• A stronger body-mind connection
• More feelings of well-being
• Stress Relief
• Boost immunity in recovering cancer patients.
• Deeper relaxation
• Emotional balance
• Relieves bloating, diarrhoea and constipation significantly.

Have a flick through the list of links of guided meditation videos or meditation podcast listed below. So just wear your fancy noise-canceling earphones so no other noise seeps in and get started.

Hope it helps. All the best!

Podcasts:

1.  Meditation for health
2. The meditation podcast 
3. Meditation oasis 

            Videos:

1. Chakra cleansing & activating meditation
2. Meditation to ease Anxiety, Worry, and Urgency  
3. The Five Minute Miracle 
4. Guided Meditation - Blissful Deep Relaxation
5. Healing Spirit: Guided Meditation for Relaxation, Anxiety, Depression and Self Acceptance 
6. Guided Meditation: Deep Relaxation & Bliss
   
   

   References:

   
   
   1.www.nccih.nih.gov
   2.www.artofliving.org
   3.www.meditationforhealthpodcast.com
   4.www.aboutmeditation.com
    

Drop down, you eat too fast!!

Do you know that chewing food properly does help us losing weight? Yes you read it right. Eating slowly does help you lose weight as you chew your food properly you consume nearly 100 fewer calories per meal! So this is how learning to enjoy your food more can help you shed pounds and achieve overall health.

Studies show that people who eat quickly tend to be heavier and gain more weight over time, compared to slower eaters. So eat slowly keeping all your senses alive.

How it works?

Your craving and calorie intake is basically controlled by hormones. Normally after eating, your stomach suppresses a hormone called ghrelin, which controls hunger. It also releases the anti-hunger hormones cholecystokinin (CCK), peptide YY (PYY) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). These hormones convey a message to the brain, letting it know that you are full and help you stop eating. Excitingly, this process takes about 20 minutes, so slowing down gives your brain the time it needs to receive these signals. Thus eating slowly can also reduce calorie intake and help you feel fuller.

Eating too quickly often leads to overeating, as your brain doesn’t have the time it needs to receive the fullness signals. So in order to eat slowly, you actually need to chew your food several times before swallowing it. Remember we had got that lesson since childhood to chew our food 32 times. Yes we really need to practice that religiously. With practice, eating slowly will become easier and more habitual.

Chewing your food thoroughly and slowing down also has other benefits like:

·

• Help you absorb nutrients better.
• Improve digestion.
• Promote healthy teeth.
• Make you feel calmer and more in control.
• Reduce stress
  
  
  

  How to slow down and lose weight?

  Here’s some advice to help you get started with eating more slowly:
  • Don’t make yourself starve for long: It’s difficult to eat slowly when you’re really hungry. So to prevent extreme hunger, keep some healthy snacks on hand.
  • Take more bites: Count how many times you normally chew a bite of food, and then double that amount. You may be surprised at how little you usually chew.
  • Put that fork down: Putting down your fork between bites of food will help you eat more slowly and relish each bite.
  • Check your tummy’s time: Eat only when you are feeling hungry and not because your clock tells you. Pay attention to your tummy’s signal too.
  • Eat foods that need munching: Include fibrous foods that require a lot of chewing, such as vegetables, fruits and nuts. Fiber intake also promotes weight loss.
  • Drink water: Make sure to take sips of water with meals or drink water after 40 minutes of meal. It aids in digestion of food.
  • Use a timer: Set your timer for 20 minutes, and do your best not to finish before the buzzer goes off. Target for a slow, constant speed throughout the meal.
  • Turn off distractions: Try to avoid electronic screens while eating. If you must watch TV, choose a 20–30 minute show and make your meal last the whole time.
  • Take deep breaths: If you begin to eat too quickly, take some deep breaths. This will help you refocus and get back on track.
  • Be calm and patient: Change takes time, and it actually takes about 21 days for a new behavior to become a habit. At the end of the day, eating slowly will happen naturally.
  
  
  So when it comes to meals, slow down, eat like a baby and enjoy every bite!

   

  References:

  • http://www.rd.com
  • www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  • authoritynutrition.com