Written by Janneke Elford
Disclaimer: this is a personal blog by a BuDS member. The views expressed are personal and don’t necessarily represent those of BuDS or our Trustees.
“I started meditation on and off years ago, when I started getting into Yoga, as they kind of go hand in hand. But it has only been in the last year I have really thrown myself into it, and what a difference it has made!
I have always felt stressed in one way or another, whether it is work related or personal issues going on, but I now understand how detrimental this is to your overall health, physical and mental. A great book to read on this is “When the body says no – The hidden cost of stress” by Gabor Maté.
This year I have really got into meditating every day, with a few days off in between of course – which I now don’t berate myself over! It really has made a huge difference, not only to my overall stress levels but also to my mental health and physical health. I feel stronger both in body and mind, more than I have done in a very long time. This isn’t completely down to meditation of course, but I think it has played a pivotal role in doing so.
I am a bit of a clean freak and keep my house tidy at all times because I feel more stressed and down when it is messy. In the same way, meditation helps me find my inner peace from all the clutter in my mind. The main benefits I have had from this daily practice is;
- Helps me focus on the positive in all situations
- Improved my concentration (to a degree, the ADHD meds help with this now!)
- I am not stressing over the little things that threw off my whole day
- It has helped me forgive, myself and others for past experiences
- Feel more awake and refreshed after a mediation session (usually after a workout too)
- Increased my self-awareness
- Increased my patience and tolerance
I have found a great website to help understand mindfulness and meditation, check it out and see if you can find some inspiration as I did – https://tinybuddha.com/about/
My favourite guide on meditation and all things related is the Headspace app, try it for free for 7 days – https://www.headspace.com/“