Meditation 101 / Part 1
So, you’re new to meditation. There’s plenty of information strewn across the internet about how to start, but I thought I would create my own guide to help you develop your practice.
I’ve recently created a 4 week program to help you reconnect with self. This self guided intro program lets you dip your toes into new practices, and helps you unlock the ways you can start self soothing and getting comfortable in your self care practice. The program is completely free, and will be launching March 1st so keep your eyes peeled. Anyone can take part, whether you’re completely green or if you’re a self care enthusiast.
I’m creating this series on mediation as a resource for everyone who is taking part, as well as folks who are just here for curiosity. Now, whether you’re joining over the next 4 weeks or not, lets get into some Meditation 101.
“No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.”
-Buddha
Where did meditation come from?
Meditation - like many other spiritual practices - is ancient, the earliest records of it being in 1500 BCE. It’s exact origins are hard to pinpoint, as meditation was born before modern society, and while the technique doesn’t truly belong to anyone the practice has religious and spiritual ties to many traditions around the world. Some include Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Judaism, and was even prevalent in early China and Egypt. Some of the earliest teachings come from ancient Hindu, and Vedic schools of practice in around 5000 BCE - my personal understanding of meditation comes from the Vedas. No matter where in the world you were, or what religious tradition you were tied to, if you practiced it meant that your teachings would be passed down from generation to generation, naturally infusing with local tradition and creating all the teachings we have today. It wasn’t until the 19th century that meditation began spreading to the west, not truly booming into trend until the 20th century, and for many folks it’s lost the spiritual ties that it once had - an unfortunate side effect of the west. Now a lot of what we see is a blend of ancient rituals and trend, it’s important to honor the roots of this transformative practice. The beauty of modernized meditation is that it’s becoming less and less “sudo” and instead becoming recognized as an alternative health practice that’s recommended by Doctors and health care professionals. Science has got it’s hands on mediation, which has really opened the scope of people who practice.
Quick Fact: “meditation” stems from the Latin word “meditatum” or “to ponder”
What are the benefits of Meditation?
Meditation has a myriad of benefits associated with it, but some of these “well known” benefits have come under question due to the limited scientific studies available. There’s a few things for certain though, Meditation reduces anxiety, depression and chronic pain - the science shows it. One of the best parts about the practice is that there are no downfalls, and no prerequisites so you can start anytime and you wont loose a thing. Meditation is also linked to improved mental function by sharpening your focus and giving you more control over the natural loop of worries life tends to bring. Now lets get into some some physiological benefits, those include an increase of serotonin which is a mood stabilizing chemical, regulation of the production of dopamine, Reduces cortisol - an overproduction of this can lead to inflammation in the body - as well as blood pressure, and norepinephrine or commonly known as adrenaline which lowers the amount of stress hormones circulating in your body. You can feast on piles of content on why you should be taking a few minutes a day to sit in the flow of your mental river. The benefits are clear to see, but outside of all of that meditation is an intimate experience you share with yourself, sinking into your own experience as a human is inexplicably moving, and often overlooked by so many. Whether you practice to get well, to move forward, or simply chill you may as well dive in and see how it feels to wade in your depths.
If you’d like to sit with me, check my meditations out here
