While meditating cannot eliminate life’s uncertainty, it can alter how you react to it. According to a study published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, meditating may have a long-lasting effect on the amygdala, the portion of the brain responsible for emotion processing. When respondents were shown visuals designed to elicit a variety of responses, MRI scans revealed that those who had been practicing mindful attention meditating, which involves focusing on one’s breath, were better able to control their emotions — even when they were not in a meditative state.
Meditation Has Many Advantages
During times of stress, such as these, coping mechanisms can be especially beneficial. “The need for an internal compass to navigate our quickly changing world has never been higher,” says Kelly Morris, a Santa Fe, New Mexico-based meditation teacher and founder of The Infinity Call, a subscription service that uploads a new guided meditation daily. “Meditation can provide this compass.”
However, you do not have to take a two-year vow of silence to gain the advantages of meditation. The study’s subjects had never meditated before and were examined after only two months of daily sessions. There is no one-size-fits-all method of meditation, but the following suggestions can assist you in getting started.
The Most Hassle-Free Way to Start Meditating
There is a saying circulating on the Internet, some claim it is an old Zen adage: “You should meditate for 20 minutes each day unless you are extremely busy. Then, sit for one hour.” That would be lovely, wouldn’t it? However, even if your Google calendar resembles a Tetris game, there is still a way to practice.
Alli Simon, a Los Angeles-based meditation and certified yoga teacher, explains that meditating may be as simple as concentrating on one breath at a time. Stop. Sensitize yourself to the dirt beneath your feet. Bring one hand to the stomach and inhale deeply. This seemingly innocuous technique can help you maintain your composure throughout the day, even if your WiFi goes down in the middle of a Zoom. To remind yourself to take that one breath, associate it with a regular ritual — such as waiting for your morning coffee to brew — or set a phone alarm. After you’ve gotten used to scheduling a single moment each day, Simon suggests “expanding the session by a few minutes.”