Travel plans for this year: wait, cancel or postpone to 2021 and stay on the balcony this summer? The summer holidays are just around the corner – but when and how you can travel will require certain safety precautions. The current situation has thrown many plans for the summer vacation 2020 overboard.
But we have good news for you:
According to a study by Harvard University, relaxation techniques such as meditation and yoga have a lasting effect on your own sense of relaxation in the long run – which even lasts longer than that of a great trip!
The researchers tested the subjects’ blood samples for biological processes related to stress, cell health and aging processes. The result is clear: meditation strengthens the cells in the long term and thus also improves the body’s metabolism.
“Meditation seems to be one of the ways that our immune system gets relief,” says Rudolph Tanzi, neurologist from Harvard University, interpreting the study results. “The daily stress that a body has to endure is reduced. That can lead to a healthier age. ”
The advantages of meditation are obvious: Especially now, when worries and negative headlines are our constant companions, it is not easy not to let the corona crisis determine one’s thoughts and feelings. Meditation helps you to distance yourself and to come back to yourself. Skills like self-love and care are also improved through mental training.
During meditation, stress hormones are broken down. That makes us calmer, more relaxed and more sensitive. Still, it doesn’t seem easy for many people, especially newbies, to get started. Well, how does meditation work and what should be considered?
We have the answers to that. In the following we have put together 5 tips for you, with which you can definitely start today and develop a permanent meditation routine.
1. The best time to meditate
Choose a fixed time – for example, in the morning before breakfast or in the evening before going to bed – at which you consciously allow yourself time to meditate. That means: no cell phone and no background noise. Try to be undisturbed or just not let anyone bother you.
2. The right place to meditate
Find a permanent place where you can find this calm and relax. To create a pleasant atmosphere, you can of course light candles or incense sticks, put up a photo or picture that inspires you, and turn on quiet meditation music. To increase your well-being, get yourself a meditation cushion, mat or bench to sit more comfortably during meditation.
3. The appropriate posture for meditation
Try to maintain an upright posture. An upright back causes your chest to open, you can breathe freely and thus an unhindered flow of energy comes about. Simply let your arms fall loosely in your lap and place your hands on your knees. The head is pointing straight ahead. The shoulders drop down in a relaxed manner.
The important thing here is to relax your body while maintaining an upright posture.
4. The will
Many beginners in meditation make the same mistake at the beginning. You want with willpower
- Don’t think about anything anymore
- Stay upright
- Focus on your breathing
If you do too much from the start ask of you, it is no wonder if after a few days you lose the nerve to meditate.
It’s best to start very small: You can concentrate on your breath, look into a candle or just watch the nature around you. It is important that you feel yourself: your breath and your body.
Your breathing should always be effortless, almost all by itself. When you notice that your thoughts are wandering, you gently bring them back.
Don’t be too harsh if you don’t get it right at the beginning. Treat yourself mindfully and take notice of what is good for you without judging. The longer and more regularly you practice, the easier it becomes. So be patient.
5. Headspace
To start with, it can also be very helpful to do a guided mediation. Headspace offers a large collection of meditations, sleep and movement exercises with the title ” Find peace in chaos “. No matter what mood you are in, the meditations will help you to find some peace and love for yourself and the people around you.
Every active Urban Sports Club member can test Headspace Plus 1 × 3 months free of charge. The individual code will be made available by email to all active members who subscribe to the newsletter in the coming week. *
When you have found an exercise that you are comfortable with, stick with it and practice it for a long time.
If you want to know how a self-test with Headspace feels like, click here.
Meditation is a very simple thing. The hardest part is taking the 10 minutes a day to sit down and just give it a try. We hope that our tips have sparked your motivation and that we have prepared everything for a good start!
So if the planned vacation this year actually falls through, you can also regenerate at home in your own living room.
Have fun meditating!