I’m sure you’ve heard of meditation, and if you’re anything like my husband, you think it’s something only hippies and monks do. Real people don’t meditate, do they? They sure do!
Let’s look at the benefits of meditation, then we’ll dive right in on how to do it.
BENEFITS OF MEDITATION:
- Reduces stress
- Controls anxiety
- Increases attention span
- Improves emotional health
- Improves physical health (lowers blood pressure)
- Helps give a positive attitude
- Improves sleep
- Controls pain
Children and adults dealing with selective mutism may benefit greatly from daily meditation. Since anger often follows selective mutism, meditation is an excellent method for helping. And it doesn’t take long to receive the benefits. Only 3-5 minutes each day can promote good health, good attitudes, and control anxiety. Oftentimes leading a person to overcome selective mutism quicker.
What do you need to meditate? A quiet comfortable place to sit. That’s it, nothing fancy. Sure, you can buy some relaxing music to listen to and maybe a soft pillow to sit on, but most likely you have a comfy place in mind already. Now, let’s get down to business on the HOW.
HOW TO MEDITATE:
- Sit in a quiet comfortable place (alone)
- Close your eyes
- Empty your thoughts (let those worries drift right up and out of your head)
- Breathe IN through your NOSE and OUT through your MOUTH, slowly
- Imagine sitting in a peaceful place like on the beach. Feel the sand below you and imagine looking up to the blue sky. Can you hear the seagulls flying overhead?
- Breathe IN through your NOSE and OUT through your MOUTH, slowly
- If any worry thoughts pop into your head, let them float out the top of your head and up into the sky
- Focus on the imaginary sounds and sights of your peaceful place (feel the wind against your skin, hear the waves washing up, smell the salt in the air, hear the birds chirping; try to get your senses engaged in your imaginary place)
- Breathe IN through your NOSE and OUT through your MOUTH, slowly
- After 3-5 minutes, open your eyes. You did it! How do you feel? Lighter? More relaxed?
Don’t worry if you don’t feel much different right away. Meditation may feel awkward at first. But sitting for a few minutes with your eyes closed, doing nothing, and especially NOT THINKING, can be ALL you need to improve your mental and physical health. So, don’t give up if you feel silly. No one is watching.