jacksonville, florida – Have you practiced mindfulness or meditation 10 years ago?
In 2012, just 4.1% of the population said they practiced some form of meditation, but that number has more than tripled in five years. This is good. Studies show that meditating for a few minutes each day can reduce anxiety and pain, and even reduce high blood pressure.
Anish Mehra conducts weekly meditation sessions through a heartfulness meditation group.
“I had just come to the town of Jacksonville, and I was very lucky to find a meditation practice that was an anchor point in my life,” Mehra said. I was able to come home and take off my shoes and meditate every week now the same sessions are being held online it’s a heart rooted practice I learned empathy through practice feel that connection you I wanted to give back by sharing it,” Mehra said.
We are a leader in the Heartfulness community providing this service for free.
There are many ways to meditate, but the only way that works is how you do it.
We all need to give our brains a break, says Dr. Tracy Alloway, a psychologist whose research on memory and the brain is nationally recognized.
“I may have spent two minutes sitting in bed in the morning when I wasn’t ready to get up, but I hadn’t touched my phone. What do I see? What do I touch? What do I taste? And it’s a mindful way to go into your day,” said Alloway.
Alloway points out that the brain is wired for survival.
“Anxiety is often the focus of the future. It’s a survival-based idea, but it can overwhelm us,” says Alloway. “So when you practice mindfulness, you get back to the moment and what you have control over. When you sit outside and connect to the moment, it’s like pressing the pause button on your brain, except for your five senses. It’s like saying, ‘I’m not thinking about anything right now, there’s nothing on my to-do list,'” said Alloway.
Anish meditates first thing in the morning and at night for 30-45 minutes. But he suggests starting small and making it a habit to actually see the difference.
“Yes, the situation may be stressful, but I think it’s kind of a preventative approach to not stressing you out. Dealing with the situation with a more focused, calm approach.” It gives us the tools and features to do that,” says Alloway.
Click here to learn more about Heartfulness Meditation Heartfulness.orgThere’s even an app with guided meditations and suggestions for taking accountability.
Mehra believes that three elements are necessary for a successful meditation practice.
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Accessibility – Free, simple practice, online, face-to-face, workplace, etc. Easy access for everyone
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Support – guidance, trainer/coach for individual training, peer-to-peer connectivity via group meditation mobile app
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Effectiveness – Overall, the practice should work from where it is now and evolve as you adopt new habits and begin to experience results
Click here to learn more about Heartfulness Meditation Heartfulness.orgThere’s even an app with guided meditations and suggestions for holding yourself accountable.
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