Meditations for Mental Health
Meditation never came easy to me. Even when I first started practicing yoga, savasana (the part of class where you lay down in corpse pose and just exist) felt like my nightmare. My thoughts would run rampant and then I would get frustrated at myself for “doing it wrong” because I wasn’t clearing my mind. The game changer for me was learning that there is no clearing of the mind, just showing up for the practice and noticing when your mind shifts, and gently guiding it back, that’s it!
Affirmation Meditation
One of my favorite ways to do this is through affirmation meditations:
Choose a affirmation.
Pick a length of time, set a timer. (I would start with 5 minutes and work your way up).
Get comfortable.
Close your eyes and begin to notice your breath.
Repeat your affirmation in your mind.
Don’t try and clear your brain of all thoughts.
When your mind wanders (it will wander), gently guide it back to your affirmation, as many times as you need to throughout your practice.
When your time is up, release the affirmation and slowly open your eyes.
See, I told you it was easy!
Guided Meditation
If my meditation isn’t for you I also love Insight Timer. Some of my favorite teachers are:
Why Should I Meditate?
Great question! I don’t find that meditation is a magic cure to turning my day around, but I do find that consistent practice helps my life overall. I sleep better, and am generally better equipped to live with my anxiety, depression and trauma responses. I find that the reason it’s so helpful for me, is that my brain gets into the habit of watching my thoughts, noticing when they’re straying, noticing when my breath is quickening because my thoughts are racing. The more awareness I can bring to my thoughts during meditation, the more awareness I can bring to my actions throughout the day, that awareness helps me change the behaviors and beliefs that aren’t in alignment with my highest self and are limiting my growth.