Luxurious self care, where we take an hour long bath or yoga class, or meditation, is wonderful-but what can you do if you don’t have an hour a day?
Meditating, even for just two minutes a day, can help build the healthy habit of mindfulness and introspection, while providing you with the abundant benefits of lower levels of inflammation.
Many people become intimidated when meditation is suggested, sitting upright and quieting ones mind can feel impossible at times, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Most people can commit to two minutes once or twice a day to start a meditation practice. By starting small, you are ensuring that you are able to have the time to stick with it and build the practice into a habit, and eliminate the negative self-talk that can come from feeling like you are “bad” at meditation. (Namely, having trouble quieting one’s thoughts. Which is normal by the way!!)
We can go on and on about the documented health benefits from meditation, but typically, the motivation to stick with a habit, comes from the perceived benefits-the benefits you can FEEL. So why not commit to two minutes a day, and start there. Try it for two weeks, and see how you FEEL after practicing consistently. A great time to practice is first thing in the morning to start your day off right, but if that isn’t a good time for you, that’s OK too! Determine a consistent time that you can stick with, set a reminder on your phone, and go for it.
To get started, try this two minute meditation and go from there.
Good luck and happy meditating!
-Melinda Cruzen RN