Meditation can often seem like a big commitment to add to our everyday routine. We work, we have families and obligations, it can be exhausting to think of having to add one more thing to our daily schedule. But what if we gave ourselves the opportunity to take only five minutes a day for ourselves to do absolutely nothing… sounds kind of relieving right? And what if over a period of time, those little five-minute increments helped us in every other area of our lives? Here we give to you, the 5 minute meditation practice.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF MEDITATING 5 MINUTES A DAY

It may sound extreme that taking five minutes of doing essentially nothing besides breathing can actually change your whole life, but there is proof to back the claim! There was a study done only two years ago at the University of Surrey that proved that our brains are less affected by negative feedback because of the enhanced levels of dopamine in the brain, due to regular meditation. Here is the list of improvements this quick addition to your daily routine will make:

·      Improve focus

·      Reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression

·      Increase immune function

·      Improve your quality of sleep

·      Decrease cravings and addiction

·      Reduce blood pressure

·      Enhance self-esteem and self-confidence

DIFFERENT TYPES OF MEDITATION

In the beginning of a meditation journey, sitting in silence for five minutes while simply just breathing may seem easier said than done. This is why it is important to see which type of meditation works for you. 

1. Body scan: Technique that helps us sync our body and mind into one by performing a mental scan, beginning at the top of the head, moving through and relaxing each part, down to the tip of our toes. It helps to imagine a bright light moving slowly over your body, becoming aware of any discomfort, aches, or tension that exist. 

2. Five-count breath meditation: This technique is quite simple, because it gives your mind a scheduled connection to the body, each five seconds, then repeating until the five minutes is up.

   1.  Slowly inhale from the belly

2. Then inhale into ribs

 3. Then into chest

 4. Up into the crown of the head

5. Hold the breath gently for the fifth count, then release

These steps can be repeated as many times as needed in the five-minute meditation.

3. Visualization: In visualization meditation, you are invited to replace the breath with a mental image as the object of focus. This might be more challenging than the others but think of it as vividly recalling the face of a loved one or a happy memory naturally, with no effort. By doing this, we allow ourselves to focus on the physical sensations as well as observing the mind.

4. Resting Awareness: This form of meditation involves no focus of the breath or visualization, but instead its purpose is to let the mind truly rest. Thoughts may enter (more often than not) and the practice is to let those thoughts drift away instead of distracting you or pulling you away from a calm state.

 This can be tricky, as we often get frustrated from not being able to accomplish the goal, which is why we must be gentle with ourselves. And so, it is with meditation.

  5 FREE MEDITATION APPS

Meditation practice can seem easy in theory, and then seem impossible when you are alone with your thoughts. Oftentimes, doing quick guided meditations helps in becoming a meditation master. Here are some free apps to download that offer amazing guided meditations for your every mood:

•     Relax Now App

•     Insight Timer App

•     Pzizz App

•    STOP, BREATHE, & THINK App

•    Calm App

Whether you choose to do this ritual right when you wake up in the morning, in between errands, sitting in the car, or before you go to bed, taking five minutes a day for yourself could mean a lifetime of long-lasting benefits. If you enjoy it so much, who knows? Maybe you move on to 10 minutes a day, or even 20! You don’t start off running by signing up for a marathon, so why would you start off meditation with an hour-long practice? The answer is baby steps, and baby, these steps will be sure to help you in no time!