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meditation


meditation female yoga studio
meditation spot

meditation is just for yogis and is a very spiritual thing to do.


well... that's how i thought about it, before i was introduced to it properly in my first yoga teacher training. before that, i thought i sucked at it because i cannot control my mind and shut off my thoughts. i thought i was not spiritual enough for it :). how little did i know.


meditation is not just for yogis - actually, more and more coaches, therapists and doctors recommend the practice. oh and it's definitely not about shutting off the mind. that's not even possible, because it's not how the human brain works. even if we think we don't think, we think that we are not thinking. you get it? actually, the latin word "meditari" can be translated with "thinking", "considering" or "reflecting".


meditation is a tool to observe the mind. i usually shift my focus to my breath. eventually, my mind wanders off to something. the practice of meditation is to realize that you're thinking and then bringing the focus back to the breath (or whatever you focus on). that's actually it.

realizing that your focus had shifted and then returning it to what you want it to be on.


this sounds very easy but i can tell you: it. is. not. it is a practice, just like the whole concept of yoga itself. in the beginning, you will probably be thinking about everything in your life and only realize it when the timer lets you know that the meditation is over.


this sounds very easy but i can tell you: it. is. not. it is a practice, just like the whole concept of yoga itself.

and you know what is the hardest part about it? being kind to yourself and not getting frustrated when the mind wanders and wanders. but why should we meditating in the first place?


all the good things meditation brings into your life:


  • it helps you to focus more in daily life. because you practice to keep your focus during meditation.

  • meditation helps reducing stress and the hormone cortisol. therefore, it even has an impact on a healthy immune system.

  • with meditation your sleep can improve.

  • it slows down cell aging.

  • meditation even helps with anxiety.

  • it is THE tool to practice perceiving a feeling without reacting to it immediately. to sit with a feeling. to endure it. and only then go into action.

  • it brings structure into a day when done regurarely.


so, meditation has actual health benefits - not only for the mind, but also for the body.


in its origins, meditation was a religious buddhist practice reserved primarily for scholars and monks in india. they used it as a tool to ultimately reach samadhi (the final stage of consciousness, where union with the divine is reached). it's fascinating to me, how they knew about the benefits over 5000 years ago.

over the years, other religious practices used meditation in other ways, like singing mantras (judaism). in the christian bibel, you will also read about "mumbling" phrases over and over again as a form of meditation.


in our modern world, those few minutes of meditation, are often the only minutes we are not distracted and our mind can finally chill for a moment.

today, meditation is found in coachings, business educations, companies, and so on. people like steve jobs or jochen schweitzer swore by their meditation practice.


meditation therefore has arrived in the western culture and for a good reason: in our modern world, those few minutes of meditation, are often the only minutes we are not distracted and our mind can finally chill for a moment. further, we improve our focus and calm our nervous system down. amazing!


it can feel a bit overwhelming though to start the whole thing (see above how i thought about it ;-)). so, here's a few ideas for you, on how to approach it:


  • it helps to start with just 2-3 minutes per day. in the best case, twice a day. then increase the time to 5 min...7 min...etc.

  • in the beginning, guided mediations can be amazing.

  • sit in a comfortable seat or lay down (if you don't fall asleep :)). no need to sit in a crossed-legged seat - a chair is just fine, too.

  • wear comfortable clothes and make sure you are warm.

  • set a timer on your phone or find a program that suits you. there are guided or silent meditations on apps like "calm" or "headspace", etc.

  • i recommend sitting in the same spot for your meditation. as soon as you approach this spot and sit down, your mind already prepares for what's coming up: your meditation practice.

  • pro tip: get a journal and note down repetitive thoughts that came up during your meditation session.



so, all in all: meditation is a practice and not something that shuts off the mind. and everyone can do it everywhere. it's for free and it's just for the very best. there's actually no reason not to meditate.


there's one quote everyone knows who meditates


"you should meditate 20 min every day. except if you don't have the time. then, you should meditate for an hour."

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