When I mention things like yoga or meditation, people often look me up and down like I'm a sage-burning hippie that sits in a room full of candles chanting (which I have totally done, BTW). Resistance is met. Usually there are comments like, “I’m not into that shit” or, “Oh! You're one of those?”.
Explaining how meditation makes me feel grounded and connected to everything doesn't do me any favours either.
But seriously, meditation is a practice I can honestly say will shape your whole existence and can make your word a little less crap.
Science is quickly getting behind the effects of meditation, it has been proven to help lower blood pressure, relieve stress, improve attention span and even help shrink tumours! And, according to researchers at the Harvard Medical School, long time practitioners of meditation (and yoga) have a lot more disease-fighting genes, helping with ailments such as infertility, arthritis, inflammation and overall pain in the body.
I am one of many that have suffer from anxiety, and am no stranger to panic attacks. And if you're sitting in front of me anywhere and your collar is out of place, I will fix that shit, so yeah, a little OCD too. Here is how mediation has helped me: because it increases electrical activity in the prefrontal cortex, the right anterior insula, and right hippocampus in the brain (all the parts of the brain that control positive emotion, awareness, and anxiety), regular practice has helped me refrain from random acts of organizing and social anxiety in which I am convinced that everyone on the SkyTrain is silently judging me.
It has also cured a hangover or two.
Here are some ways that meditation can help you.
Digestion
Since a lot of digestive issues are known to be linked to stress, then it makes sense that meditation as an anti-stress tool can help relieve some symptoms. It can be helpful for such issues as low stomach acid and irritable bowel syndrome. Meditation can also help you from making poor food choices and overeating by helping you change your mindset.
Boost your immune system
Meditation boosts antibodies neutralizing foreign agents such as bacteria and viruses contributing to a healthy immune system.
Anxiety
Meditation increases GABA, a neurotransmitter known to stabilize mood disorders. Take it from a high anxiety perfectionist, you want meditation in your life! Now I'm not claiming that it’s a miracle cure for everyone, but it is a great coping mechanism and super relaxing.
Cardiovascular disease
Stress is a well known culprit of cardiovascular disease. It releases the hormone adrenaline that causes your heart rate and blood pressure to rise. So you can guess what the results are in your body if you are constantly stressed out and not dealing with it. Meditation produces a technique for reducing stress and healing.
Headaches and migraines
Tension held in the neck, face and jaw can often lead to headaches. Meditation can help relieve the tension in these areas eliminating pain. No pills for you! Just straight up bliss.
Where to start?
There are so many types of meditation out there that it can be overwhelming at first to know where to start. Here are my recommendations:
• Youtube is a great source for free guided meditations.
• Isha system Vancouver is a great way to get introduced to the local meditation community. Led by some pretty amazing humans like Matthew Schmidt, there are weekly meetings and you can even book a one-on-one. The Isha system explores inner growth and unconditional love of self. Cause let’s face it, you can never have too much love.
• Tuja Wellness 30 day meditation challenge. It’s a free online meditation challenge that happens once a year. The next one is this February. You work your way up from five minutes to 20 within the 30 days with guided meditations that are emailed to you, so you can do them at any time. This is pretty convenient for busy folks to get a taste of what meditation can do for them and try out different styles.
RECIPE: Soothing coconut drink
1 can organic coconut milk
2 tbsp organic turmeric
1 tbsp unpasteurized raw honey (Try a tablespoon first and add more if needed.)
Warm it up on stove and stir! I love to have this drink at night to wind down. Perfect post bath and meditation.
