Morning rituals: meditation

Introducing the Morning Rituals mini-series!
Every couple of weeks I will post one of my morning habits that help me start my day off on a good note.

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This week's Morning Ritual is on meditation: "Meditation is mind without agitation."
I began meditating almost a year ago to help with breathing techniques, concentration, anxiety, stress and give myself some clarity. I try to meditate every morning before I leave the house for the day, but every now and then if I don't have time I'll meditate in my car, on my lunch break or when I get back home. The point is, I make it a habit to meditate daily even if it's just for 5 minutes. To keep this short, meditation is powerful in training our minds and brain.

There are several types of meditation including Transcendental meditation, Heart Rhythm meditation, Zazen, Qi Gong, Mindfulness, Guided Visualization, and Kundalini. I am NOT a meditation expert in any way and am still learning about it, but what I can tell you is that IT WORKS.
If you are new to meditation or don't know where to begin, try downloading an app like Headspace, Insight Timer or Calm. Headspace is a great app for first-time meditators because it offers a free seven day guided meditation program that deeply explains how meditation works. After the 7 days the app charges a monthly fee. I personally use Insight Timer because it's free and offers over 30 meditation topics like gratitude, breathing, acceptance and movement.

Why I Meditate

Reduces stress- We all deal with stress in our everyday lives and we all need to be able to step away for a small amount of time and take a mental breather. Meditation has the ability to help you mentally unwind and come back to a situation feeling more clear thinking and level headed.

Self-Awareness- Meditation is about allowing time for you to deeply analyze how your body and mind are feeling. Through this process you are deeply engaged with yourself and drown out your surroundings.

Breathing- Meditation has helped me with proper and relaxing breathing techniques. I use breathing techniques to calm myself down when I'm feeling anxious, nervous, irritated or stressed out.

Overall Happiness

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Photo Credit: ​https://society6.com/product/spiritual-afrogirl_print#s6-1160259p4a1v45