In the hectic world we live in, it’s increasingly important to have various relaxation techniques. Many people have breathing exercises, others pray, some do yoga, and many people around the world meditate. There are a lot of misconceptions around meditation. Some people think it is a concentration exercise while others believe it’s just a breathing technique. What meditation really constitutes is a state of mental awareness. Interesting how a person can do their work and be in meditation while another person can be in a lotus position and not be truly meditating. We’ll get to that later in the article.
History of Meditation
A little background on meditation is that it is believed to have begun in Ancient India. Religious Text (The Vedas) have the Hindu traditions of Vedantism recorded on them. Further along, other forms of meditation began to develop in Buddhist India and Taoist China. The Silk Road Transmission of Buddhism spread the practice of meditation to other oriental countries.
Health Benefits of Meditation
There are many health benefits to meditation. Studies have shown that meditation can help lower blood pressure, lower heart rate, lower anxiety, lower stress, improve blood circulation, etc. These are just some of the short-term benefits we know of. There are researchers out there studying the long-term benefits, so we have to keep an eye out for those!
Know Yourself
A couple of ways to enhance your meditation so you get the most out of it really depends on what you are comfortable with. It also depends on your resources and the amount of time you can devote to it. You can sit, lie, or stand. Lights on or off. In the morning, in the afternoon, at night. A room filled with silence or a meditation YouTube video playing in the background. Find what works best for you. Personally, I like being in a quiet dark room, in a lotus position, meanwhile the scent of essential oil fills the room. The unique scents help one get into a great breathing pattern and helps freshen the air.
Essential Oils
There are a couple of ways that you can include essential oils in your meditation: Diffusing and direct application. If you’re running short on time, hold an oil you like underneath our nose and inhale a couple of times. Regardless of which style you prefer, here are a couple of essential oils to help you on your journey to achieving mindfulness:
Sandalwood:
Sandalwood essential oil has been used throughout history in many different spiritual and cultural rituals. Just by inhaling the oil will help calm the mind and body. Diffusing the oil will help promote emotional and spiritual balance.
Clary Sage:
Clary Sage has natural cleansing and balancing properties and has been used for centuries! Diffusing the oil helps relieve tension and uplift the mind. Direct application to the stomach or lower abdomen region can help provide relief from menstrual cramping.
Lavender:
Lavender essential oil is popular and versatile especially when combining with other oils. You can either apply directly to your chest, neck, or feet to promote relaxation. Diffusing helps uplift mood and relieve stress and anxiety.
Eucalyptus:
Diffusing Eucalyptus essential oil will help support the immune system, improve concentration, and assist in the health of the respiratory and digestive systems. If you’d prefer to apply directly, do so to overused muscles.
Frankincense:
On top of being a holy oil, frankincense is revered because of its uses and benefits. Diffusing frankincense essential oil helps promote a balancing effect and has a grounding effect. The oil also helps reduce inflammation, relieve stress, and relieve anxiety. Apply a few drops to your temples to enhance your mood.
There are many people that are hesitant to try meditation. They’ll give excuses stating that they don’t believe in it or that they just don’t have the time to do it. We are so busy working, taking care of the kids, paying bills that we forget to take care of ourselves. Many know the feeling of having more to-do list than day to work with. What’s beautiful about meditation is that we can create an inner space that allows our mind to expand.
In conclusion enhancing your meditation begins at knowing yourself. Knowing how much time one can set apart and how frequently one can meditate. Knowing what combination of techniques works best for you will help you take your meditation to the next level. Aromatherapy is also helpful in meditation. On top of refreshing the air in a room (assuming this is inside) oils, help your mind enjoy concentration, grounding effects, and the uplifting of mood! Adding meditation to your relaxation techniques will help you immensely. The world isn’t going to slow down for any of us, but with meditation we’ll be more prepared to take it on.