Five Meditation Tips

5Meditation TIPS

Calm your mind and body with these tips from Dr. Jill Gover

If you want to clear your mind, get rid of stress, and find a little inner peace, consider meditation.

It can be done anytime, anywhere and is a great way to start or finish the day. That’s because mindfulness helps bring balance to our hectic lives.

“A healthy life includes meditation time,” says Dr. Jill Gover “Dr. G,” a licensed clinical psychologist who leads DAP Health’s Behavioral Health department.

Down time and rest are as important as physical activity. They keep our lives in balance. “Meditation is a way of calming the mind, and in our very fast-paced, stressful world, it’s important for us to have moments where we calmly settle down and ground ourselves, and meditation is a marvelous way to do that,” she says.

Mindfulness also is good for our physical health. Research suggests meditation can help reduce blood pressure, improve irritable bowel syndrome, and reduce anxiety, depression, and insomnia, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.

1

Start by meditating for short periods of time. Long meditations, like an hours-long meditation, would be way too difficult for a beginner.

2

Find a comfortable place to sit when you meditate. It should be quiet and free of distractions.

3

Be compassionate and non-judgmental with yourself. Don’t worry about the selftalk in your head. It’s noise. Empty your mind. Imagine your thoughts are like clouds and watch them drift away. Then return your mind to what you were focused on, like your breath.

4

Don’t worry about sitting still. If you sit in one position for too long, it’ll make you uncomfortable and start to hurt. It’s okay to move around.

5

Start with something simple, like your breath or a simple mantra. Sometimes it’s helpful to play tranquil music or use a recorded guided meditation.