Self Care - Meditation

We all need a little or a lot of self-care sometimes. That doesn’t always mean throwing on a face mask and binging Law & Order SVU with a glass of red (although when you do, THIS is the face mask to use). Self-care is about YOU looking after your mind, body and soul. So over the coming weeks we wanted to talk about some of our favourite ways to self care that cover more than just what you see on your ig feed. This week I want to talk about meditating.

We’ve come so far from the days when meditating was seen as someone sitting cross legged saying ‘Ommmmmmm.’ It’s a pretty commonplace for kids to be taught to meditate in school or for there to be meditation sessions at your gym or in beaches and parks all over the world. Have a look at your local community centre or Facebook group for your suburb, you’re sure to find weekly or monthly - usually around the full or new moon - meditation groups.

If a group meditation isn’t your cup of tea, you should try an app. Headspace, Calm & Lumenate are all free to download and try. These are great for guided meditations. A guided meditation is perfect for a beginner or if you want to focus on something in particular. Getting rid of anxiety, gaining happiness, gratitude and sleep being the main themes, but there are so many different paths you can take. There are also some great free guided meditations on YouTube.

Or if all else fails some simple breath-work is what I find the easiest and most effective. Breath-work is a form of active meditation utilising breathing techniques. There are several different breath-work meditations or Pranayama, but the first one I was taught was the most simple and in my option the most calming. Firstly, lay down flat on your back, close your eyes and take a second to notice how your whole body feels. Now you breathe in for a count of 5 seconds. And exhale for 5 seconds. When you inhale make sure that it’s your belly that’s inflating and not your chest. And that’s it! Do that for a few minutes and I can guarantee your body and your mind will be feeling a hundred percent better than when you started.

So there’s some super easy meditation ideas. Try some out, light a candle, clear a nice space on the floor or in bed and empty your mind.