Work days, hours lost commuting, cleaning your house, dealing with daily tasks… You feel like you don’t have a minute to yourself and you are constantly stressed?

Rest assured you are not alone: 80% of medical consultations (1) in industrial countries are related directly or indirectly to stress!  It is now time to learn to relax, and meditation is one of the solutions to achieve this.

What is meditation?

Hold your thoughts! Meditation is not a practice for monks only, nor related to any belief or religion. Meditation is a practice that exists for more than 2500 years, often attributed to a Buddha. However, at the moment it is used all over the world and booming in western society, consumed by stress.

Meditation is therefore a practice that consists of regulating your attention, emotions and to concentrate on oneself, your body and soul. The goal is to promote your mental well-being and to free yourself from negative thoughts.

There are numerous forms of meditation, but the most common one and most easily accessible is ‘mindfulness meditation’. It consists of putting all your attention on the present moment and don’t let anything overrun your thoughts.

Benefits of Meditation

Meditation attracts more and more people; it’s because of the numerous benefits, especially:

Relieve stress and depression

different studies have concluded that meditation can relieve stress, anxiety and the risk of depression. One study, published in 2015 in the medical journal The Lancet, has proven that meditation can be as effective as medication in the fight against depression!

Boots positive emotions

According to another study, meditation would act on the brain to promote the creation of positive emotions in everyday life. Therefore making you feel happier.

Helps you sleep better

Insomnia related to stress can diminish through meditation.

Helps to stay healthy

According to other studies, meditation has an impact on our general health.  Helps reduce pain, reduces the risk of cardio vascular diseases or it can reinforce the immune system. 

Improves concentration and memory

La méditation demande beaucoup d’efforts de concentration, surtout au début de la pratique. Avec le temps, elle aide donc à être plus concentré et plus attentif dans toutes les tâches du quotidien.

How to practice meditation?

Meditation can be practiced by everyone. There are no special rules for a successful mindful meditation. You can choose to meditate while standing, seated, lying down, morning or at night, eyes closed or open, concentrating on an image or a word, silently or with music… There are many forms of meditation as there are practitioners!

The goal is to find the method that best suits you and for that it would be best to start meditating with a little help. Do not hesitate to go to a meditation center for your first few sessions. The instructors will help you start with good habits, that you will be able to apply whenever you meditate.

There are many meditation centers in Quebec! You will find a few here. You can equally opt for numerous sites and mobile apps that are available. Beware, they are not meant to guide you in your meditation; they can never replace the human contact that you might be in need of.

Advices for Anti-Stress naturally

Meditation is your aide to fight against daily stress and to lead a more laid back life. To achieve this, take advantage of the benefits offered by nature:

Stress H72 Complex: this homeopathic remedy is ideal to relieve irritability, moodiness, and stress in general. Just a few drops 3 times a day and you will feel more relaxed!

Bach Flowers Quietude Elixir: Bach Flowers are indispensable to find the well-being within. This elixir is especially formulated to help you find tranquility and serenity during periods of stress.

Now that you know more about meditation, you have all the tools to chase away stress and promote well-being naturally.

(1) Study published in Dr Benson’s Relaxation Revolution (2010)