HEALTH AND WELLBEING
How to Meditate A BEGINNER'S GUIDE Find wellbeing balance with these expert tips on starting to meditate. Jenny Stallard reports...
For many people, even before coronavirus began, meditation was a great way to try and find some balance. And now, during the pandemic, even more of us are turning to it as a coping mechanism, to help reduce stress and anxiety. If you're keen to try, it's easy to get started, say experts. Dr Megan Jones Bell, chief science officer at mindfulness and meditation app Headspace (headspace.com) says: "Overall, Headspace downloads have doubled, with certain courses seeing an increase in users of over 1000%. "With regards to specific sessions, we have recently seen ten times the number of users starting our stressed calming meditation. Specifically in the UK, this has been a six-times increase. Our reframing anxiety home workout has also had a ten-times increase in the amount of UK users trying it out." MEDITATION - WHY NOW? "This is an unprecedented time for all of us. As the world collectively takes steps to safeguard physical health and wellbeing, it's also important to take care of our minds," says Jones Bell. "During this challenging time, it's normal to feel anxious and overwhelmed. While we work from home, we can get easily distracted from tasks and feel less motivation to be productive. "By being apart from family, friends and loved ones, our relationships with others may also feel strained. This stress is also
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