meditation

As you head into a new year consider bringing the Loving Kindness Meditation into your life as a regular practice.

With the holidays fast approaching, it is easy to get caught up in thinking about all the things in our lives that are just “not right.”

A VA study has found course of loving kindness meditation was just as effective as one of VA’s front-line treatments for treating PTSD.

When our days feel overly busy or stressful it can be nice to slow down and find moments of stillness. There are many ways to do that throughout the day, even if just for a minute or two. Here are a few ideas.

If sitting meditation is not for you, yet you want the benefits that come from these practices, you may want to try a gentle movement practice such as “Brain Break.”

When was the last time you paid attention to your right big toe or thumb? Like really paid attention to it? We often move throughout our day without really noticing our body or its various parts unless we are dealing with acute pain, it’s almost like we are on autopilot. When we really pay attention to what our body is experiencing in the moment, we can be more present, and we can notice how our physical experience is often connected to our emotional experience. This is called body scan.

Meditation may be able to help Veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder. Learn about a meditative practice available through VA called the Mantram Repetition Program. Also compassion meditation.

Mindfulness is about giving yourself permission to slow down, to be fully engaged in the moment without judgement. Becoming aware of your surroundings, thoughts, feelings, and sensations that you might be experiencing allows you to become more thoughtful with how you respond to moments in your daily life.

Whole health programs at Roseburg VA are centered around what matters to you, not what is the matter with you. Facing your fears can be difficult but this nurse guarantees the process is worth it.

Previous studies have suggested that meditation may have beneficial effects on a number of conditions. A 2017 American Heart Association scientific statement suggests that meditation may be of benefit for cardiovascular risk reduction. Data show that it may help with blood pressure, cholesterol level, quitting smoking, and overall cardiovascular health. However, this connection is far from definitive.

A mindful body scan makes us aware of how our body is feeling and bring us into the present moment. This is a type of mindfulness that connects our breath to the sensations of our body. We acknowledge parts of the body that might be experiencing pain and discomfort and learn to relax areas where we might be holding tension. The body scan can allow us to let go of some of the things causing us stress, even if only temporarily.

Facing adversity is a natural part of the human experience. When situations arise and we find ourselves feeling fear, worry or anxiety, we often focus on those thoughts and lose sight of the people, places and things we are grateful for.