I started meditating...

I started meditating and it has started to really change everything.  I tend to be a very, well let's call it high stressed, highly anxious person.  The thing of it is is that I don't enjoy either of these traits when I'm in them.  We all have a certain amount of both but, as many of you are aware, chronic stress and anxiety can cause several health issues.  Friends do some research on this one, it can really be harmful long term in so many ways.  When I did some research on the topic and learned about the impact on the mind and body it really pushed me to start practicing.   Aside from that, living a happy fulfilled life is so much more enjoyable and fun!  Based on the research I found, meditation has science proven benefits around stress reduction, helping control anxiety, emotional management, and memory just to name a few.

So, about six weeks ago, I decided, why not give it a try.  I've heard a number of influential (to me) leaders’ speakers on their belief of this practice throughout the years so it was pretty easy to be open to the idea.  If thought leaders use it to help maintain balance, calm, stress, etc. there must be something to it.  I decided to try it and determine if this is something that would help me, meditation.
 
First, I listened to a couple speakers online specifically about the topic.  Then I looked at all the resources on YouTube.  There are a lot and it may be a bit overwhelming at first.  This was all within a couple days then I just jumped in.  I started by doing 3-5 minutes every morning and night. The first week and a half or so was hard.  I found it difficult to stay focused, my mind wandered a lot.  I still find on certain days my mind wanders more than others.  Now I do longer in the evenings generally 10-15 minutes.   I find that my evening meditation helps me to get relaxed from my daily stresses and let them go.  I also found that I am dreaming better.  And, I feel more relaxed in the morning when I wake up.  I still do 3-7 minutes in the morning too.   For me, this helps in several areas, most significantly it has helped me to better focus throughout the day.  I also noticed over the last couple weeks that I have not felt any sense of anxiousness where I would have in the past.  This is a huge relief for me as I mentioned earlier my stress and anxiety generally run high.
 
It may be a bit too soon to fully determine but all in all it has had a significant impact on me so far.  Give it a try and see what it does for you!
 
Stay well my awesome friends!