In my work with students, I have used a lot of meditation practices and have found that (with practice and repetition), students have benefited in ways that promote peace and balance. Meditation can be a difficult thing to achieve, which is why trying it more than once or twice is important and almost vital to achievement. I remember the first time that I tried meditating; I kept thinking "this is dumb", "this can't actually do anything for me", and "I look ridiculous". The reality is that guided meditation has been scientifically proven to reduce stress, control anxiety, promote emotional health, enhance self-awareness, lengthen attention span, generate kindness, help fight addictions, improve sleep, help control pain, decrease blood pressure, and may even reduce age-related memory loss. Another amazing thing about meditation is that you can do it ANYWHERE.
Yes, you may feel ridiculous to start, but try practicing this skill in a private place or somewhere that you feel comfortable. Also, it may help to begin with one of the shorter guided meditation options and work your way up. I can still remember my first amazing experience with guided meditation came during my sophomore year of college during finals week. One of my professors offered to do a guided meditation with us after our class and because of the way she presented it and because I was under so much stress, I remember feeling the benefits of the guided meditation almost immediately after. I felt relaxed both physically and mentally which is exactly what I needed in order to be able to push forward and finish the semester!
We only have a few more weeks of this crazy school year and due to the odd circumstances, you may be finding yourself under even more stress than usual. Give guided meditation a try! If you need some assistance, I would be happy to help you through it with a Zoom meeting. Reach out, I am here for you!
3 minute mindful breathing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEfs5TJZ6Nk
5 minute relaxation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Xdwr4cRTVA
5 minute anxiety reduction https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MR57rug8NsM
5 minute meditation anywhere https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inpok4MKVLM
10 minute powerful meditation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJH6_ZbgeWQ
10 minute mindfulness meditation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZToicYcHIOU
15 minute finding peace https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W19PdslW7iw
15 minute balance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6oLzlxHd3E
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