Meditation Archives - The Unchargeables

September 27, 2020October 16, 2020

How to Make Mindfulness Practical When You’re Chronically Ill

Talk of mindfulness is everywhere. You have no doubt heard people recommending mindfulness as a method of coping with all sorts of health issues. While it’s no ‘quick fix’ or ‘miracle cure’, mindfulness truly can be extremely beneficial for those of us with chronic illness, and it has proven results!

The benefits of mindfulness for chronic illness

Mindfulness is all about being present in the moment, which promotes a sense of calm and relaxation. This alone can provide a feeling of comfort and relief when we’re going through a lot in our lives. This 2019 study defines the practice of mindfulness as: “intentionally observing the body and mind nonreactively while embracing the individual experience and accepting things as they are.”

When you live with chronic illness, you are often in a prolonged state of ‘fight or flight’, which means that your stress response is overworked. Your body and mind are not designed to handle this prolonged stress, which can understandably take its toll. Stress can contribute to chronic pain and other chronic symptoms. Thankfully mindfulness can markedly reduce stress levels, easing chronic symptoms and reducing the negative effects that come with being in a state of stress for so long.

It’s not only stress that mindfulness can help with: regular mindfulness practices can help us to gain greater control over our emotions and enable us to regulate them more effectively. This creates a more stable mood and an enhanced sense of wellbeing. This increased emotional regulation can even help with mental illness (such as anxiety and depression) which so often accompanies chronic illness.

The benefits of mindfulness for chronic illness

Often the experience of living with chronic illness can create a sense of fear of doing something that may worsen your symptoms (which is completely understandable). This fear can lead to fear-fuelled avoidance, meaning we avoid certain activities in the hope we can avoid a ‘flare’. Unfortunately, this fear-fuelled avoidance can actually worsen symptoms over time. Mindfulness can help us to overcome those fears and deal with them in a calmer, more constructive way.

When you live with chronic illness, it can be incredibly hard to sleep. Often even when we do sleep, it’s non-restorative and restless, meaning we don’t feel much of the benefit. Mindfulness can help with more restful, regular sleep. Mindfulness can even help us to be more self-compassionate and build our confidence, as well as helping us to feel more motivated to self-manage our chronic illness.These are only a few of the benefits of mindfulness for chronic illness!

Making mindfulness practical:

Now that you know just how useful mindfulness can be, you might be wondering how to get started. It can be tough to know how to engage in mindfulness in a practical, realistic way. Let’s go through some tips to help you introduce mindfulness into your day to day life.

Figure out what type of mindfulness works for you. There are so many different types of mindfulness such as meditations, visualization and guided imagery, mindful movement, body scan meditations, progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) and more! This variety is great because it means that if you try a style of mindfulness and discover it’s not for you, it doesn’t mean mindfulness can’t work for you! Take your time to do some research and experiment until you find what feels best for you.

Start off with 5 minutes at a time. You don’t have to dedicate lots of time to mindfulness to feel the benefits, especially not when you’re just starting out. Starting out with 5 or 10 minutes at a time can be a sustainable way to introduce mindfulness. You don’t even have to do this every single day to gain the benefits (although if you can this would be fantastic)! 2 or 3 times a week would be a great way to start out. Being as consistent as possible is key. You don’t need any special equipment to get started. Find 5 minutes in a quiet space where you won’t be disturbed or distracted, and you’re ready to go.

Don’t worry about sitting in a specific position. You don’t have to sit with your legs crossed in an upright position for mindfulness to work. Don’t worry if that simply doesn’t work for you. There’s no magic pose that you have do to gain the benefits of mindfulness. Sit or lie down in any position that is comfortable for you.

If you feel pain or other symptoms, don’t overthink it. Let’s face it, it’s likely that while you’re sitting and trying to quiet your mind, you might experience pain or other symptoms of your chronic illness. That’s ok. Don’t worry! Mindfulness is about being present in the moment and engaging your senses. If you are experiencing a symptom, feel what you’re feeling as part of the present moment. Try not to overthink it or worry about it. That sounds easier said than done, but with practice it can get easier. Of course that might not always be possible. If you’re having a flare or a severe symptom, you might need to stop your mindfulness practice for the time being. That’s totally valid too! You can always try again later. It doesn’t mean you’ve failed or that you can’t practice mindfulness.

Find guided mindfulness resources. You don’t have to sit and meditate alone. There are plenty of guided mindfulness sessions online you can access (and many for free!) which will guide you through a meditation step by step. Some people find guided audio or video mindfulness sessions really helpful because it gives them a voice to focus on and clear, relaxing guidance to follow.

Find guided mindfulness resources to help you be mindful.

Consider mindfulness courses and mindfulness therapy. There are mindfulness courses you can engage in which can help guide you through learning mindfulness skills. You may be able to find some in your local area which you could attend in person, or you could find an online course or app. Mindfulness is often integrated into other types of therapy to treat chronic illness and mental health issues. You could ask your doctor, specialist or therapist if this is something you could involve in your sessions. Alternatively, you could seek a specific mindfulness therapist. If you do so, ensure they are properly qualified

Utilize mindfulness in bed to help you sleep. If you struggle to sleep, you could practice mindfulness a little while before you go to bed at night to get you in a relaxed mood. Another great way to utilize mindfulness to help you sleep is to listen to a guided mindfulness session in bed to help you drift off. Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) is really great for this purpose because it takes you through relaxing each area of the muscles in your body. This can ease muscle pain as well as encourage relaxation.

Consider trying mindful movement. For some people, sitting or lying still and trying to relax simply doesn’t work. This is where mindful movement can come into its own. Mindful movement typically involves slow flowing movements. While you’re doing these movements you pay attention to your breathing, to how your body feels and to what is happening in that moment. Yoga and tai chi are types of mindful movement. You can even make other exercises mindful, such as going for a mindful walk. When you’re walking, you might pay attention to how your feet feel as they are hitting the ground. You may notice what sounds you can hear and what you can see around you for example. You’re focusing on exactly what is happening in that moment on your walk, not on the past or the future. Mindful movement brings all of the same benefits of mindfulness, as well as incorporating the benefits of exercise and activity for those with chronic pain. It’s all about what works for you!

Make daily tasks mindful. We don’t always have the time or energy required to dedicate to setting aside specific time for mindfulness each day. However, as you learn the skills of mindfulness, you can make daily tasks mindful that you would be doing anyway. As we learn to pay attention to what is happening in the moment, (if our mind wanders we simply bring our attention back to the present) we are being mindful. Over time this can become a positive habit, and will feel less like a conscious effort. This study explains that, “repetitive attempts to increase state mindfulness leads to an incremental escalation of the general tendency to be mindful in a more automatic manner.”

An example of doing daily tasks mindfully could be eating a meal mindfully. Take your time to focus on how your food smells and looks before you eat it. As you taste it, take the time to really take notice of the flavours, the movement of your mouth and tongue, and the feeling of enjoyment you may experience. You could make taking a shower mindful. Pay attention to how the water feels on your skin. Take notice of the smells of your shower gel or soap. Think about what colours you can see (maybe the bottles in your shower or your sponges are a certain colour).

Be kind to and encourage yourself. If things don’t go to plan, for example if you can’t quiet your mind or you miss a week of your mindfulness practice, don’t be too hard on yourself! It doesn’t have to be perfect. Remember you’re learning a skill and that takes time. Encourage yourself and be kind to yourself. If you try all sorts of different mindfulness techniques and are just finding that it’s not for you, that’s completely valid too. There are plenty of other chronic illness management options that you can explore. It doesn’t mean you can’t try mindfulness again later down the line if you want to, so don’t worry!

Mindfulness is about you!

Fundamentally, mindfulness is about what works for you. If you can find ways to integrate mindfulness into your life, it can be well worth the effort and have wonderful benefits. Remember that there’s no specific ‘right way’ to practice mindfulness. It’s all about what works for you and your life.

About the Author:

Ann-Marie D’Arcy-Sharpe is 33 years old and works as a freelance writer and blogger. She lives with bipolar disorder, fibromyalgia and arthritis. She writes for Pathways Pain Relief, a chronic pain relief app and blog. The app is created by pain patients and backed by the latest pain science. The app uses mind body therapies to help pain patients achieve natural, long lasting pain relief.

March 7, 2020February 27, 2020

How To Use Yoga as a Tool to Become More Motivated in Life

A thought that often crosses our minds in the morning is “I have no motivation to get through the day”. Lack of motivation; an easy thing to explain but a difficult thing to understand and fix. Every person experiences issues throughout life that can cause an impact on them, and this impact can be neglected. We carry all the negativity we acquire during the course of the day without being conscious or aware of it; and the next thing we know, we may become bound to our beds, struggling miserably to get out of it and get some work done.

Why does this happen, though?

Difficult situations are very draining on our energy. Our minds can become full with negative thoughts which can lead to poor self esteem and little self-belief. While for some this can result in one or two low and gloomy days, it can also become a severe and serious thing for others.

People with chronic illnesses can be even more prone to regular levels of low motivation. We should all be aware of different tools that can be used to become as healthy and as happy as you possibly can, even while experiencing a lack of motivation. Now that I have introduced this concept to you, it is time for me to tell you the answer to becoming more motivated; Yoga!

How yoga can help you become more motivated in life

Yoga has a great many benefits and one of the most obvious ones is instilling motivation. Given below are the few ways how yoga becomes the best practice to be motivated in life.

Yoga lowers stress and anxiety levels

Practicing yoga involves a great deal of stretching your muscles. This, in turn, reduces all the stress and tension accumulated in the muscles and relaxes them significantly. The constant breathing exercises help in energizing your body as it regulates the blood flow. This also helps rich and oxygenated blood to reach your brain.

As the brain receives rich blood and your body starts relaxing, the mind also works towards calming itself down. When this happens, you became aware of all the negative thoughts that have been causing you distress and anxiety and can, therefore, push them out of your head effectively. Once your stress levels are lowered, you feel more energized and motivated to work your way through most days.

How yoga can help lower stress and anxiety levels

Yoga increases your ability to problem solve

When your mood is low, one of the most annoying things that could happen to you is not being able to solve the slightest of the problems that come your way. Since your mind may be filled with negative thoughts, it can be difficult to think straight and therefore it may seem like the easiest thing to do is to give up on that difficult task.

The breathing exercises involved in yoga, as discussed above, help to clear out all the negative thoughts. They also assist in making your mind focus better. This means that when you come across a problem in life, you’d be able to focus on it properly. You will be able to come up with practical solutions faster, and therefore there would be no hindrance in the process of becoming a more motivated and happy self.

Yoga encourages self awareness

To keep yourself motivated, you need to know yourself properly first. You need to understand your behavioural patterns, as well as what makes you happy and what keeps you energized at work. Yoga helps in directing your focus towards your own self. It helps you understand your emotions better and makes you capable of consciously keeping them regulated. It helps you balance out all the negativity with positivity and enables you to make more practical and sensible decisions.

If what I have said above interests you, you can get started on your yoga journey by discovering which style of yoga works best for you.

About the Author:

Manmohan Singh is a passionate Yogi, Yoga Teacher and a Traveler in India. He organizes Ayurveda Courses in India and Yoga retreat in Nepal . He loves writing and reading books related to yoga, health, nature, Himalayas and Trekking Tours in India.

February 8, 2020February 6, 2020

Why It Is Beneficial To Practice Yoga Whilst Traveling

Yoga can act as a multi-purpose remedy for people of all age groups. It has therapeutic properties within each yogic movement that are good for the mind, body, and soul.

During your moments of wanderlust and planning your travel, when you have decided your favorite destination to go to, you don’t want any moments of severe symptoms or anxiety to impact your holiday once you’re on your way. It’s good to think positively about your future journey, but it’s wise to also take the necessary precautions. If you have impaired mobility, neurological dysfunction, fatigue, pain, etc., you may end up experiencing anxiety, less social interaction or even depression. In an effort to minimize such experiences, you can calm your symptoms or yourself with Yoga.

Meditation, Pranayama, or Yoga are exercises that can be performed anywhere. Therefore, while traveling, yoga can help relieve the symptoms of chronic illnesses. It works as a stress-buster as you increase qualities such as compassion, focus, improved memory, and better concentration. It may seem like too much of a challenge to maintain a yoga routine while traveling. What if you have to face uninvited challenges? However, it’s worth it. Yoga works as a booster to elevate your moods. Researchers have found and proven that Meditators are more self-aware and come through the stress-related problems to live a quality life.

The Benefits Of Practicing Yoga Whilst Travelling

Yoga is extremely beneficial, especially while traveling. Why? Because it promotes better health, allowing you to make the most of your holiday. Yoga, Meditation, Pranayama, and similar yogic practices can also help with clearing brain fog, which many people with chronic illness experience. Meditation also helps in clearing out the clutter that is causing emotional instability. It gives a clear perspective and a focused mindset while the Pranayama also helps in flushing out the toxins to reward you with a refreshed state of mind.

While traveling it is important to maintain healthy habits and to be aware of your surroundings. Create a safe space for yourself! It is important to look after yourself when you are trying to balance work and family life. People often ignore the more subtle elements of their health because they are too focused on dealing with the lives of other people. Yoga makes sure that you take care of your mental and physical health, because only then can you take care of others.

Establish your own yoga routine so you can take it with you anywhere

To start your yoga journey as someone who experiences chronic illness, consider private instructors initially; join gentle and restorative classes; practice Yoga from online sources or digital media. A little bit of stretching and deep breathing can be a benefit to almost anyone. So, travelers must consider this wonderful hack to give priority to their health while still making the most of their adventures. Let Yoga be your travel partner, a guide that can help protect you from all the bad forces of life with the natural power it inherits.

Look at the positive side of the world and appreciate every with grace. Staying positive is a weapon that not many people can fully embrace, but many people chase this state of mind as an infinite goal. So, if practicing yoga interests you, grasp motivation and start your journey. After all, being alive is a gift in itself to cherish!

Bipin Baloni is a passionate Yogi, Yoga Teacher and a Traveller in India. He organizes 200 hours of yoga teacher training in various cities in India and Nepal. He also conducts AyurvedaCourses in Kerala He loves writing and reading books related to yoga, health, nature, Himalayas and Trekking in Nepal .

December 14, 2019January 15, 2020

How Being Chronically Ill Has Made Me The Target Of Dangerous “Miracle Cure” Products (And How To Avoid Them).

Disclaimer: When starting a new health supplement or diet you need to consult with your doctor first to ensure that any changes will benefit your health instead of making it worse.

As someone who is both chronically ill and overweight, I am a perfect target for the “miracle cure” products that circle the internet. If you’re unsure as to what I’m referring to, certain products on the internet claim to be the “miracle cure” that can cure “any and all” illness or disability. Of course, this isn’t true.

If It Sounds Too Good

I’ve learned over the years that if a treatment sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.

Not only do these products target and take advantage of chronically ill and/or disabled people, but they can also be extremely dangerous. It’s not just because of the possibly unregulated ingredients though. Some of these “treatments” even recommend stopping all other medications while using the product, which is ridiculous!

I’m not going to mention specific product names or brands in this article, as I don’t want to cause any legal issues. However, there are plenty of online resources that can be consulted regarding these types of products. I find that the five most commonly targeted conditions by these scams that I’ve seen are Cancer, Obesity, Fibromyalgia, ADHD, and Autism. However, there is no condition that the scam supplements will not claim to cure. The rise of internet usage in our society has made it super easy for the creators of these scam products to widely sell their product, but I’m hoping we can use the internet to raise awareness about this issue and turn things around.

My Experience

Like many others, I have seen these products advertised all over the internet. Luckily, my mother taught me at a young age to do my research before buying any of these “miracle cures”. Like many of us, my experiences with the advertisement of these products was purely online… until earlier this year. I’ll set the scene: One afternoon I was walking through the main street of my town, minding my own business, heading towards my dentist appointment. Out of nowhere, a woman runs out of a little nutrition store and asks me if I’d be interested in learning more about her products. Me, finding it hard to say no and having time to waste before my appointment, agreed and headed into the store.

It wasn’t until later that I realised how weird it was that she ran out of her store upon seeing me. She wasn’t standing outside her store handing out flyers, and I didn’t see her approach anyone else. Later I realised that she must have seen me as an easy target because I’m overweight and was using my walking cane. As I entered the store, I instantly regretted my decision. Every single one of the products in that store was a “health” product from a single company that is well known on the internet for promising benefits for their products that they don’t deliver. I continued to talk to this woman as if I was interested in buying the products. She went on and on about how her products have improved the lives of people with many medical conditions.

I then asked if I needed to consult my doctor before starting to use these products. She told me that no, I didn’t need to consult a doctor because it was all-natural, and then she made a snarky comment that the fast-food I eat would react far worse with my medication than any product she sells. The funny thing is, despite being overweight, I only eat fast food not even once a week. I couldn’t believe she’d say something like that to someone she had never met before, and I knew her comment about it being all-natural and therefore not possibly interacting with medication was blatantly untrue. I then escaped the store, and the awkward situation, by telling her that I needed to leave to attend my appointment and that I would consult my finances and get back to her. After my appointment, I went home and did my research, and it turns out this company’s products are linked to liver failure. I definitely dodged a bullet.

The Rising Awareness Concerning These Products

Some of these products are so dangerous that the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has released warnings about them. The FDA is discussing tightening rules regarding these products, however, the companies behind said products are adept at finding loopholes in the law. D] Phil even did an episode regarding a “miracle” cabbage and salt-based drink that the creator claimed cured all illnesses – she evened claimed it could grow back missing limbs and organs and fix chromosome disorders. However, this drink had such a high salt content that prolonged use would cause sodium poisoning, which can be deadly.

Thanks to coverage from platforms like these and articles all over the internet, awareness regarding these dangerous products are arising. Still, however, some people are falling victim to these schemes, and I’m hoping that the continued spread of information through the internet will eventually turn the tables against these scam products.

Some Supplements & Diets Can Be Helpful

Depending on your chronic illness and current treatments, supplements can be helpful for aiding the treatment of your symptoms. Magnesium, for example, is widely known to help lessen muscle pain and spasms. It was first suggested to me by my doctor, and I’ve found it to be very helpful in addition to my other medications. Other popular supplements include turmeric and fish oil, which each have a long list of ways they may be able to aid your health.

Certain diets can also be helpful. I have encountered many people with obesity, chronic pain, and/or fatigue who swear by the keto diet as a way to lose weight and aid the treatment of their symptoms, though I have not yet tried it myself. These treatments (when used under the guidance of a medical professional) can be genuinely helpful. What isn’t genuinely helpful, however, is when people claim that their unreliable diets and supplements can cure any and all forms of illness, which is obviously not true.

“Natural” Doesn’t Always Equal Safe

The main angle these companies use to advertise their “miracle cure products” is that their products are “100% natural, 100% safe!” Don’t let this fool you. A product containing all-natural ingredients does not guarantee its safety. After all, cyanide is natural! And so is the cabbage and salt drink I mentioned above, yet the amount of salt in this ‘treatment’ has caused serious medical events in patients that have drunk it, such as stroke.

It’s not just an excess of certain ingredients that can be an issue. There’s also an issue that comes along with these products targeting the chronically ill. Like many people who are chronically ill, I take a lot of medication in an attempt to manage my symptoms. Many medications have specific ingredients that may not be consumed along beside this medication. Some of these ingredients are in other medications. Others are a part of natural growing foods. For example, I can’t consume products that have grapefruit in them because that would negatively interact with the medication I take every day.

How to avoid dangerous “miracle” supplements:

Do your research.

If anyone other than a trusted medical professional recommends a health product or routine/diet to you, do your research. When researching a product, Google the product and look at reviews that are not on a website connected to the product brand (as some brands delete negative reviews). Make sure the brand or website you’re buying from is reliable. You can even check with the FDA to see if the product is approved, or if the FDA has any concerns regarding the product or the brand. Also, in my opinion, “health” products from MLM (multi-level-marketing) companies and websites should be avoided.

Consult Your doctor or a pharmacist

As always, when starting a new health supplement or diet you need to consult with your doctor before to ensure that this will benefit your health instead of making it worse. This is especially important if you have chronic health issues and take medication.

Pharmacists can give you a break down on ingredients in the supplement you are enquiring about, and inform you as to whether they will interact with any of the treatment you are undergoing. Consulting a pharmacist regarding a supplement I was interested in saved me from possibly developing Serotonin Syndrome, which can be deathly. This would have been caused due to an interaction between the supplement and one of my medications.

Only buy from reliable sellers

Once you have the “OK” from your doctor or pharmacist, only buy health supplements from reliable sources. I personally only buy my supplements from pharmacies and supermarkets. Unless I’m visiting a website directly connected to a supermarket or pharmacy, I will not buy supplements online.

While some people may think that what other people decide to sell or buy is no one else’s business, these “miracle” products take advantage of vulnerable people and they are also often extremely dangerous. I can not stress enough how important it is to consult a medical professional before starting a new treatment. People reading this may think I’m being repetitive and redundant, but I can’t say it enough.

My Resources:

Healthline: https://www.healthline.com/health-news/no-this-miracle-solution-isnt-a-cure-for-cancer-autism-its-bleach#Unproven-and-dangerous-health-cures

Dr Phil, regarding dangerous cabbage-salt drinks: https://www.drphil.com/videos/medical-professional-explains-potential-dangers-of-controversial-health-beverage/

About The Author

Amy Clements is a 20-year-old who has lived with chronic pain, the result of Fibromyalgia, since childhood. In her teens she was diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome in her wrist, which was the result of a netball injury. Amy lives in New Zealand and studies Business part-time at University. She enjoys reading novels and writing. She especially enjoys writing about her experience with chronic illness.

November 9, 2019November 8, 2019

7 Ways to Find Peace of Mind and Inner Calm

All our life, we keep on seeking peace of mind but it is important to understand that it is not something we can buy or seek. We often get indulged in the process of seeking peace rather than attaining it. Happiness or peace is not something we can grasp, it comes from within. Yes, of course, we can try to meet people we love or buy things we like but peace is not just confined till materialistic pleasure. In this process of seeking peace and calm, we chase people, we get inclined towards things which we guess could get us into a better position but truly one cannot chase or grasp peace. Have you ever met someone who remains calm most of the time? Who does not react abruptly even if something bad happens? Maybe that person is at peace and so nothing easily disturbs him or her.

Peace Is Different For Everyone

The definition of peace could vary from one person to another, one might like to sit at home with a cold coffee, watching Netflix or another person might want to explore the world. It differs but it does not mean seeking peace in the next moment. Maybe the next job could be better, maybe another relationship, moving to a different city or place could give us peace is not a good state of mind. If we keep on doing this, we are stuck in the loop of seeking peace. In this process, we feel lost and dull. Our entire personality is devastated as we are too busy discovering things about others but not ourselves. If you want peace, start living in the present, it is important to realize the importance of momentary happiness. When you start living every moment, when you start understanding the importance of present and start living every moment to the fullest, you start taking steps towards attaining peace.

We often come across people who are suffering from depression or stuck with regular panic attacks or anxiety, the reason is they believe that peace or happiness is in the next moment. There is no next moment. When you start getting sure about things, when you decide to end your confusion and take a step towards living the life right now, you are following the correct path. It is normal to keep on looking for happiness but peace is different. You have to collect a lot of happy moments to get close to the calmness your mind deserves. Yes, you can implement certain rules in your life that could make your life a little easier. You can check out some of the important ways by which you can try to develop a state of mind that is calm and peaceful.

How to find Peace and Inner Calm?

Yes, it is a fact that we cannot calculate and find peace. It does not have any blueprint yet we can practice some activities that can at least help us to get over the temporary problems we are dealing with. You can check out some of the common ways to deal with it. Have a look, try to read, understand and implement in the process of seeking a better life ahead.

Stop Being too Serious

Why so serious? You must have come across this famous dialogue. Eventually, it is not just a dialogue, it’s philosophy itself. It is good to be serious in life and take important decisions yet it is not a great idea to take yourself too seriously. It is important to know how to turn a problematic situation into a good one. We often criticize people who prefer being humorous and solving out things but probably they are the ones living their life to the fullest. If you are serious enough to make commitments, you should also know the ways to figure out things if the commitment did not go well. If you are serious all the time, it is a possibility that you might get inclined towards the negative thoughts. You might face many difficulties but if you are dealing with it with a positive perspective, things do not get heated up. Your acceptance level increases and you develop a habit of involving in the situation positively.

Increase the Horizon of Acceptance

It is important to accept things as they are without adding any extra flavor of over-thinking and assumptions to it. You can wake up in the morning and challenge yourself that everything that comes your way, you would accept it and then react or respond to it. Acceptance is important because without accepting you cannot respond appropriately. You must listen to everything the other person is saying, you must observe and then analyze and then react. When we stop accepting things, it leads to unnecessary quarrels and not needed worries. So, try to listen, accept and then react.

Be You!

You might be messy one day and classy on the other. So, try to accept that a bad day does not make you a bad person. You must accept yourself, all your flaws, confusion, doubts and mess is yours and you should never be ashamed or embarrassed to accept it. Make sure that you do accept all your imperfections and strive to make it better. Be sure that only you can turn your imperfections into perfections.

Don’t be too Harsh on Yourself

You would come across many situations in life when you would question your existence? But wait a minute before doing it. It is ok if you made any mistake; it is ok if you are not doing well. Try to be your best friend. Do not ever question your self-esteem, you can do wonders.

Permit Yourself to Feel

You must feel everything. Make sure you go through every phase; make sure you cry your heart out when you need to. Make sure you laugh out loud when you are feeling like too. The power to feel is everything. You must understand that numb is not good. Allow yourself to feel what you like to, what you want to.

Get Over the Past

Most of us are not at peace because we are stuck in nostalgia. You must understand that you should not cling to the past and ruin your present. Try to forgive yourself for all the pathetic decisions you took, all the bad people you gave chance to. It is ok to be not perfect. Make yourself feel comfortable by letting out all the bad memories. Try to revive the energy, make sure you do not hold any past grudges. It is important to know the importance of ‘let go’

Meditation is helpful

Apart from all the above activities, self-care is important too. You can try mediation to avoid panic attacks and anxiety. You can play a soothing track, try to calm down, relax and meditate. Allow yourself to feel everything. Research shows that meditation gives you proper space and time to think, feel and act. So, do not hesitate and try to build a tension-free world for yourself.

self-care is important too. You can try mediation to avoid panic attacks and anxiety. You can play a soothing track, try to calm down, relax and meditate

We have tried to explain some of the vital ways to get over the problems you have been facing. Once you take a step, some changes take place. When you choose light over darkness, happiness over sadness, Love over hatred and acceptance over assuming, you are all set to go.

About The Author

Manmohan Singh is a passionate Yogi, Yoga Teacher and a Traveler in India. He organizes Ayurveda Courses in Kerala and Yoga Teacher Training in different cities. He loves writing and reading books related to yoga, health, nature, Himalayas and Trekking Tours in India.

October 7, 2019October 2, 2019

Why The “You Can Do Anything If You Try” Narrative Is Harmful to Chronically Ill and Disabled Youth

We hear the phrase “you can do anything if you try,” or something similar, throughout our entire lives; starting at preschool and kindergarten and continuing throughout school. And sure, for many children this may be true; if they put their efforts into something, they may eventually master their craft and achieve all their goals.

However, this phrase completely ignores the fact that we each have our own unique strengths and weaknesses. Someone who is naturally good at maths is going to do far better in that subject than someone who is not. And that’s ok.

Why The "You Can Do Anything If You Try" Narrative Is Harmful to Chronically Ill and Disabled Youth

This phrase becomes even more illogical once you consider that it is also often applied to disabled and chronically ill youth. When experiencing a disability or chronic illness, you often can’t do certain things, no matter how hard you try. So why is it being drilled into disabled and chronically ill youth that they can? Isn’t this harmful? Wouldn’t this lead to false expectations and damaged self-esteem?

You may be reading this and be thinking that I’m just cynical. This article may even be seen as a little negative and controversial. However, for me, finally realising that I couldn’t do ‘everything if I put enough effort into it’ was freeing. I’ll explain why;

Coming to the realisation that I can’t do everything I try

After a lifetime of feeling like I haven’t been achieving enough (through my grades, sport, etc.), last year I had to give up studying the course that would have led me to my dream career due to my health. I felt so dejected because all my life I had been taught that I can do anything if I try hard enough.

The thing is, I WAS trying. I was working myself into exhaustion, but it still wasn’t enough. I felt like I wasn’t enough. I felt horrible about myself, to the point of feeling depressed. However, I got back up and found another course that I would be able to study without having as big of an impact on my health. I still felt horrible, but I did my best and found that this course was a lot better for me.

Six months in, I came to a realisation. I didn’t fail at continuing with the previous course because I wasn’t trying hard enough, I failed at continuing because my health didn’t allow it. It wasn’t apathy on my part, it was an actual, physical limitation.

Once I accepted my limitations, this led me to become a lot more accepting of myself. I wish I had come to this conclusion sooner; it would have saved me a lot of heartache.

Being told that I could do anything I wanted as a child set me up for a lot of disappointment. And despite how harmful this narrative is, I see evidence that it is still being told to children every single day. Here are some other phrases that are often directed at chronically ill and disabled youth that also fit within this narrative:

“The only disability in life is a bad attitude.”

This one especially upsets me. It wasn’t a bad attitude that caused me to experience immense chronic pain on a daily basis starting in childhood. It isn’t a bad attitude that has left me using a walking cane most of the day to get around.

This phrase takes the word “disability”, a word that has a lot of meaning to a lot of people, and tries to change the definition completely. This phrase frames disability as apathy towards carrying out tasks, rather than an actual inability to carry out these tasks.

The “What’s your excuse?” comparisons

You may have seen memes depicting disabled athletes, with phrases written across them saying things such as “what’s your excuse?” or even worse, “Your excuse is invalid.” These memes basically use disabled people to shame others (including other disabled people) into thinking they need to adopt certain habits or push themselves past their limits.

I understand wanting to come up with a viral, inspirational meme, but chronically ill and disabled people should not be exploited in the process. I know able-bodied and disabled people alike who agree that these memes are very harmful, especially in an age where social media is such a huge part of our lives, even more so for the youth.

My “excuse”, as they put it in the second quote, is certainly not “invalid”. I will never be an award-winning athlete, as the constant pain and exhaustion make exercise difficult. I will never be an award-winning mathematician because the brain fog makes remembering formulas difficult. I’m ok with that.

As I said above, everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. Just because one disabled or chronically ill person achieves something, does not mean every other disabled or chronically ill person can.

You can’t judge a group of people by the actions of a few, and they certainly shouldn’t be shamed just because a member of the community has achieved something that they haven’t.

“There’s no such word as ‘can’t’”

This phrase confused me a lot as a child. Mostly because my young brain would take it literally, and I knew the word “can’t” did exist. When I was presented with this phrase, for the longest time I would go fetch the dictionary to prove them wrong.

It also confused me because I knew there were things that I, and other humans, couldn’t do. I can’t fly independent of a form of aircraft. I can’t breathe underwater without using a snorkel or oxygen tank. The word “can’t” doesn’t have to be a negative word attributed to pessimists, and knowing when to accept your limits shouldn’t be considered negative either.

“Don’t let your disability define you.”

Another phrase that is often said to chronically ill or disabled youth is that we “shouldn’t let our disabilities/chronic illnesses hold us back” or “shouldn’t let our disabilities/chronic illnesses define us”. I find this to be a very naive take.

Sure, we aren’t wholly defined by our disability/ies, but what we are able to do often is. There are ways to overcome these challenges, but only to a certain extent. There are some things that, no matter how hard you push yourself, you’ll never be able to achieve.

Accepting that isn’t letting your disability define you, it’s understanding your limits and knowing there are better areas to concentrate your energy.

I’ve even had people tell me that I shouldn’t talk about my chronic illness or disability – at all. That talking about my chronic illness or disability is letting my health control me and consume my thoughts.

My disability is a part of me. I can acknowledge my disability’s effect on my life and be proud of what I achieve despite it without letting it define me. Not to mention, it’s hard not to think about your chronic pain when you experience it every minute of the day… But that’s easy to ignore, right?

While on the surface these phrases may seem inspirational, they may do more harm than good when it comes to disabled and chronically ill youth. They can lead to false hope, which can chip away at the young person’s self-esteem when they don’t achieve everything they aim to like it did to me.

Not everyone can do everything, no matter how hard they try. Instead, we should be encouraging disabled and chronically ill youth to try their hardest to achieve goals that are realistic, yet also push and challenge them at the same time.

If there’s one thing I want disabled and chronically ill youth to take away from this article, it is that you should feel comfortable doing what you CAN. With the help of those who care about you, set your own pace in life.

Push yourself, but not so hard that your goals become unachievable. Don’t let society tell you that trying your hardest isn’t good enough, because it is. Know that you are enough.

About The Author

September 7, 2019September 5, 2019

How You Can Decide Which Yoga Style Works Best For You: (Comprehensive List)

How to Decide Which Yoga Poses Work Best For You

Yoga is a disciplinary practice that helps us to reshape our unconscious patterns. It disciplines us by reducing the fluctuations of our mind and keeps our mind in harmony with our body. Practicing yoga helps us to build a framework to make conscious choices with clarity, mental peace, and happiness. This unparalleled form of wisdom is the ingredient we need to become spiritually aware and to enlighten our souls.

Yoga and it’s benefits

Practicing yoga mainly consists of Asanas (different body postures), and Meditation Pranayama (meditation while controlling your breathing), making it an efficient way to uplift our physical and mental health. Yoga asanas can improve our physiology by increasing our flexibility, strength, mobility, and balance. Yoga is a great tool to improve one’s physical stature and posture. The physical postures in Yoga allow our body to go through a full range of motion, reducing pain and tension in the muscles.

Modern Yoga has been divided into different forms, each with its own distinctive style and health benefits. It might be a difficult task to choose the one that resonates with us, but we can make an informed decision after evaluating all the styles available.

Styles of yoga:

Hatha Yoga:

This ancient style of Yoga is very common and focuses on asanas and pranayama. The asanas include twisting, reclining, standing and balancing of the body. This form of Yoga is highly practiced in Yoga teacher training in India.

What to expect: The Yoga asanas can be physically challenging and are usually slow and calm.

You should try this if: You need a grounded and pure form of Yoga with standing and sitting poses. It is also great for those who wish to develop awareness through pranayamas.

Benefits: Reduces muscular pain and de-stresses the body.

Making an informed decision about which form of yoga works for you

Viniyoga:

This is a branch of Hatha Yoga that focuses on breathing and meditation with poses. It helps in creating an inward flow of energy.

What to expect: Focus on breathing, meditation, and chanting.

You should try this if: You have limited mobility and wish to work from the inside out.

Benefits: Improved posture, body awareness, and relaxation.

Ashtanga Yoga:

This advanced form of Yoga has a series of poses that require quick transitions from one pose to another. This challenging form of Yoga is also regarded as ‘power yoga.’ Surya Namaskar is a popular form of Ashtanga Yoga with 12 asanas.

What to expect: Keen concentration on breathing while following a set of sequential poses.

You should try this if: You need a physically demanding session with fast-paced movements and acrobatic postures.

Benefits: Strengthened muscles, increased flexibility, and improved stamina.

Bikram Yoga:

This yoga form includes practicing basic asanas with breathing techniques for 90 minutes in a pre-heated room (40 degrees Celsius).

What to expect: Similar asanas as in Hatha Yoga.

You should try this if: You prefer a repetitive routine, extreme exertion and are okay with heat.

Benefits: Removal of toxins, as well as improved circulation of blood and oxygen.

Iyenger Yoga:

This form of Yoga works so that the body and mind can function in equilibrium. It has strict poses which focus on posture and proper alignment. The good breathwork helps you to hold poses for a longer time.

What to expect: Using Yoga props for standing and seated postures with good breathing techniques.

You should try this if: You want to work on correcting your posture and alignment.

Benefits: Increases range of motion, muscle tone and reduces anxiety.

Using yoga as an exercise when dealing with chronic illness

Vinyasa Yoga:

This is a dynamic and flowing form of yoga. It includes quick transitions with a rhythmic background. This is a cardiovascular exercise and is very popular in the US.

What to expect: Freeform and a dynamic exercise usually guided by an instructor.

You should try this if: You want an athletic kind of feeling with minimum restrictions in forms.

Benefits: Reduces body fat, increases flexibility and builds lean muscle.

Jivamukti Yoga:

This is a Vinyasa based style that includes chanting, meditation, and listening to the spiritual and ancient teachings of Yoga. This form of Yoga is good for the mind and helps widen our intellect.

What to expect: Sequences of meditation, deep listening, and chanting.

You should try this if: You want to experience the spiritual and ancient teachings of Yoga and its philosophies.

Benefits: Body awareness, widened mind and wisdom.

Kundalini Yoga:

This yoga form balances the energies of the body through mindful activities like meditation, chanting mantras, and pranayamas. It directs the flow of energy from the bottom of our spine to the seven chakras that revive the soul.

What to expect: Chanting mantra, deep meditation, and repeated movements.

You should try this if: You’re looking to deepen your spiritual practice.

Benefits: Deep spiritual awakening, corrects our energy channels, and you can feel the energy at the base of the spine.

Yin Yoga:

This is a slow-paced form of yoga where the positions are usually held for a longer period of time. The asanas are usually performed in a seated or lying position. The longer duration of each position releases tension in muscles by giving them a uniform level of stress.

What to expect: A slow style of yoga where poses are held from 1-5 minutes.

You should try this if: You deal with chronic muscular pain, stress or stiffness.

Benefits: Repairs connective tissues, releases tension and stress, and revives the range of motion of the muscles.

Using yoga for restorative and relaxing purposes when dealing with chronic illness

Restorative Yoga:

This form of Yoga is best suited for the purpose of resting and relaxation. This involves only five or six poses with minimum movement and passive stretching. Props are also used for better support and balance.

What to expect: Gentle and slow poses that are to be held for more than 10 minutes using props.

You should try this if: You’re suffering from chronic pain and stress.

Benefits: Stimulates the nervous system by aligning physical and mental aspects by practicing still movements.

Though all the yoga styles have different benefits to offer, Yoga has a consistent theme of synchronizing the body and mind so that people can reach their highest potential.

About The Author

August 3, 2019July 22, 2019

The Benefits of Meditation (How to Relax Your Body and Mind)

If you find yourself feeling anxious and stressed more frequently than usual, it’s time to take a break before you find your bucket overflowed with stress. You can achieve this by pampering your mind and body with meditation. Meditation is one of the best ways to cope with stress as it releases tension from our muscles and encourages the supply of oxygenated blood to our brain. It gives us a moment for self-reflection and helps in finding the answers to our problems within. It is also very relaxing.

How I Like to Meditate:

Focusing attention to the different parts of the body through meditation is a good way to quiet the mind. You may start practicing meditation by sitting comfortably while closing your eyes. Relax your shoulders by placing your hands on your lap. Take a few slow and deep breaths and exhale the stress from your body with each exhale. After that, start focusing on the different parts of your body starting from the toes, legs, and hips with each breath. Picture yourself sending vibrations of relaxation to each body part and release your tension as you do so.

You can practice this for five to ten minutes before you go back to your regular tasks. Here are some of the benefits of meditation:

It Reduces Stress Levels Within Your Body and Can Lessen Inflammation

Stress causes the release of hormones such as Cortisol. It produces harmful effects on your body and releases cytokines, which is an inflammation-promoting chemical. These hormones and chemicals can promote disturbed sleep, anxiety, and depression. It also leads to cloudy thinking and fatigue. People often use meditation for stress reduction. A study shows that if you do mindfulness meditation for more than eight weeks, it can lower the harmful effects of inflammatory hormones on our body. Meditation can also improve symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, bowel syndrome, and fibromyalgia.

Helps Control Inflammation

If you feel less stressed, this can lead to you feeling less anxious. If you start practicing meditation you could experience a reduction in your anxiety. Along with that, it also reduces the symptoms of anxiety such as paranoid thoughts, phobias, social anxiety, panic attacks, and obsessive-compulsive behavior. Meditation can not only reduces the symptoms of anxiety but can also help you cope up with the stress related to the high-pressure working environment.

Helps in Decreasing Blood Pressure

Meditation helps in reducing the strain on your heart. High blood pressure creates pressure on the heart, and it has to work harder to pump the blood, which leads to poor heart function. With time, high blood pressure contributes to narrowing the heart arteries, and atherosclerosis, which can be the main cause of heart stroke and attack. When you practice meditation and chant non-vocalized words, it can help in reducing high blood pressure. This can lead to a controlled nervous system and coordinated heart signal.

Using Meditation to Help Decrease Blood Pressure

Helps You to Bear Pain

Your mind plays an important role in perceiving pain, and it can pain levels can increase if you’re in a stressful condition. A study shows that if you practice yoga on a regular basis, it helps you make less sensitive towards pain and decrease in chronic pain. Meditation helps in diminishing the perception of the pain in your brain. This process can help you cope with intermittent pain.

Can Improve Your Sleep Pattern

Half of the population of the world struggles with insomnia at some point in their lives. If you practice mindfulness meditation techniques regularly, you’ll notice an improvement in your sleep. Meditation not only helps you sleep easily but also makes sleep more satisfying. Our racing thoughts, stress, and anxiety don’t let our brain relax, and that leads to insomnia. Meditation calms these thoughts and helps in relaxing our brain, releasing tension and putting you in a peaceful state.

Aids Addiction Recovery

Meditation helps in increasing self-control, which can help you to get rid of any kind of dependencies and increase awareness for triggers towards addictive behavior. A study shows that regular practice of meditation helps people to increase their willpower, redirect their attention, control impulses, and more. For people who are taking medication and treatment for drugs or alcohol addiction, meditation can serve as the perfect aid for controlling your cravings. Meditation also helps in controlling food-related cravings and is helpful for disorders like obesity.

Using Meditation to Help Control Addictive Behavior

Can Also Increase Positive Feelings Such As Generocity

Regular practice of meditation helps in increasing positivity towards yourself and others. Love kindness meditation is a technique that helps you to develop kind thoughts towards yourself and others. You start developing mercy and forgiveness, first to yourself then gradually towards an acquaintance and finally towards your enemies. Not only does this encourage love and kindness, but also it helps in reducing marriage conflicts, social anxiety, and aids anger management. This meditation technique is an excellent way to learn compassion and empathy towards others and to look upon life with positive feelings.

May 27, 2019May 5, 2019

How Yoga Can Help You Get A Better Night’s Sleep

Yoga has different faces. On one hand, it is vibrant in the form of poses and asanas while on the other, it depicts the mindfulness of Meditation. Yoga is a breathing practice in Pranayama while it becomes ethics and principles in Karma Yoga. Some say Yoga helps them stay fit while others argue it is about mental tranquility.

Different people take the ancient science of Yoga differently. Its applications get altered according to circumstances. Yet, none of these definitions is entirely correct. Looking at the traditional Yoga texts, one can decipher the meaning of Yoga as a way of life very easily. Everything that Yoga does directly or indirectly has some relation to the betterment of human life. The science of Yoga is a reflection of what a body is capable of, how fit the mind is, and how composed the soul is.

There is another way of looking at the fitness of the body and mind. Many health experts argue that the intensity of one’s sleep shows his/her health level. The better rest an individual enjoys the more activeness is expected to be shown. By taking both these matters into account, it can be tracked with utmost ease that Yoga is so much about sleeping and vice-versa. Let’s discuss a deeper relationship between Yoga and sleeping.

The Beauty Of Sleeping Yoga

Since Yoga touches every aspect of human life, one cannot refrain from the fact that it is very much a tranquillizing exercise. Let’s take the example of Savasana, which is all but about taking rest. This asana is called the Corpse Pose, thanks to the position of the body in deep stillness or like a corpse.

It is recommended to be practised between two intensive Yoga sessions or poses to bring the body and mind to rest. This helps in refreshing and recharging the body for another session. Although the roots of this astonishing exercise lie in a beautiful practice of Yoga, its applicability is well embedded in the health and wellness of the human body.

Corpse Pose - How Yoga Can Help You Get A Better Night's Sleep

Savasana is practised while lying on the Yoga mat with complete freedom of the mind and body. The hands and legs are relaxed. When one closes the eyes in Savasana, the body, mind, and soul cut themselves out from the rest of the world. Only these three elements of life interact with each other in silence, which is what happens while sleeping.

Practising the delight of Savasana every day can improve the beauty of your sleep. Two of the major reasons people do not get a substantial amount of good sleep, nowadays, are the workload and poor living style. When you relish the peaceful aroma of Savasana, all those stressful moments will be wiped out of the mind and refresh your brain.

Yoga Nidra

Yoga Nidra is defined as a state of consciousness – between awakeness and sleep. ‘Nidra’ stands for sleep (yogic sleep). In this stage, the body is completely relaxed. One can feel the inner body with enhanced awareness about various internal organs and metabolism. The practice is all about inner conscious.

Yoga Nidra is referred to as the deepest possible relaxation position. Although this form of Yoga is not a part of the daily practice for many, Yoga teacher training in India includes this practice in the program curriculum. Almost all Yoga schools in the Indian subcontinent give great emphasis to Yoga Nidra as they believe this is the best way to keep one connected to the yogic path with complete awareness and relaxation.

A number of Yoga teachers from all over the globe are of the opinion that the practice of Yoga Nidra is a huge contributor to better sleeping.

Meditation And Sleeping

The power of Meditation in bringing the mind and body to the zone of utmost silence is quite unparalleled. Meditation is about concentration, tremendous focus on a single object. It is a practice of thought absorption and mental nurturing. An anxiety-full mind cannot enjoy the bliss of sleeping since it is full of many negative thoughts. These negativities haunt you in the form of deviation.

A number of people complain of unpleasant dreams at night. This is what happens when you don’t spend your days in peace. In order to maintain a balance in the lifestyle of an individual, Meditation is one of the best exercises. Begin your day with at least 5-10 minutes of Meditation in a serene atmosphere to feel the calmness of nature.

Sunrise Before Yoga - How Yoga Can Help You Get A Better Night's Sleep

Early morning is considered the ideal time for Meditation and almost all forms of yogic practices. During the dawn, not many people are awake and you get a peaceful and quiet environment. Early morning Meditation prepares you in an awesome way to deal with all the daily stuff with patience. When your days are gratifying, nights are more likely to be pleasant.

You can experience the beauty of Meditation in the evening as well. Since the lunar energy is active during the evening time, you can embrace the feminine power and feel soulful stability with this practice of mindfulness. Many Yoga and health experts suggest enjoying Meditation before going to bed. If you end your day in the vicinity of spiritual energy all you experience is the seventh heaven’s seat.

It is recommended to everyone, who does not enjoy better sleep, to get into the zone of Meditation. The best part about this exercise is that it can be practiced anywhere. Whether you are in the office or waiting for the train at a railway station, just close your eyes and recite a couple of mantras.

Yoga Asanas For Superior Sleeping

While there is no doubt in the fact that relaxing yogic practices are better sponsors of amazing sleep, Yoga poses have also been practiced by many people to enjoy the warmth of their beds. If you are interested in following a proper asanas routine, there are many Yoga poses you can enjoy to get a finer sleep at night.

Adho Mukha Svanasana, also known as Downward Facing Dog, is among the finest Yoga exercises that promote a fine circulation of blood, making the body ready for experiencing the love that your bed gives. Blood flow promotes harmony in the body and mind which is the best way to have an awesome sleep. There is one very amazing Yoga pose, Paschimottanasana that is extremely effective when it comes to giving joy to the body parts.

When you attend a Yoga teacher training in Rishikesh, they focus more on these Hatha Yoga poses. These exercises are of immense importance in achieving complete balance and stability. One amazing facet of yogic practices – breathing, tells a lot about how the body itself is engaged in making it good for sleeping.

Pranayama is known as breath-based Yoga. It is all about the regulation of the air and blood to provide stability to the body and mind. Constant breathing activates the body’s metabolism and a better form of sleeping can be enjoyed by you. As long as you are healthy, your body is fit, no force in the world is going to give you a better and enjoyable sleep.

Thus, it is very important to embrace the delight of Yoga and its practices in the best way possible to lead an astonishing life on the planet with amiable nights of sleep.

About The Author

May 6, 2019April 18, 2019

Using Meditation Strategies to Help Cope with Life While Experiencing Chronic Illness

You’ve probably heard about the health benefits of yoga in improving mental and physical health, and in improving flexibility. Due to the shared benefits, the words ‘yoga’ and ‘meditation’ are often thought of as synonyms. Although meditation can be incorporated into yoga, they are different practices. While I was skeptical of meditation at first, it has indeed helped me to manage my stress and life while living with Multiple Sclerosis, chronic pain, and fatigue.

How Meditation Works

Meditation involves clearing your mind while maintaining a state of awareness. Or at least trying to! It is much more than sitting and concentrating in a quiet area for a designated amount of time; it involves calming your mind of all thoughts, achieving a deep inward peace, and maintaining attention and alertness in the process.

Have I gotten to the complete deep inward peace thing? Nope, not yet. But I have found that meditation is an excellent way to relax, to calm my anxious mind, and to take the focus off of my pain.

People often use certain postures, breathing techniques, and even chants to help facilitate the process of meditating, but these are not required. They are not the act of meditation itself, just the support tools. Personally, I like to meditate in my favorite recliner or in my bed because it’s most comfortable for me.

Stress as a Spoonie is Extra Hard On Your Body

Meditation makes the body less responsive to stress hormones, which lowers blood pressure, improves blood circulation, improves digestion and immunity, and establishes emotional and neurological “balance.”

How does this work exactly?

According to what I’ve learned, it mostly comes down to hormones. Stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenalin increase blood pressure and heart rate, while “feel good” chemicals, such as serotonin, (which are released in a state of relaxation), work to repair cells.

Tips on Getting Started with Meditation

As a beginner, taking a meditation class, watching a video, or using an app that introduces you to the concept of meditation is the easiest way to get started. A guided meditation teaches you various techniques for facilitating the process. It is not as easy as I thought it would be, but I’m glad to have another calming tool in my toolbox.

Using apps to aid meditation to help cope with chronic illness

You may be able to find a class in your community that is specifically dedicated to meditation, but for me, it’s been easier to learn through online tools. Some meditation videos/audios can be found for free online. Try searching YouTube, or downloading an app. If you prefer a mix of yoga and meditation, the best types of yoga to focus on include Kundalini, Ananda, Jivamukti, and Integral.

Research shows that just 20 minutes of consistent meditation sessions can have tremendous health benefits. When my therapist suggested I try it, I was skeptical. There was no way I could do it for twenty full minutes! So I started with just five minutes at a time. Meditating before you go to bed can help you to fall asleep too. Personally, falling asleep is a struggle, and I have noticed that I fall asleep much faster if I meditate in bed.

Try getting outside! Many people find that sitting in nature – I just sit on my back porch – helps them to facilitate the process of meditation. It’s also a great way to get outside and absorb some Vitamin D.

Try meditation out side to help cope with chronic illness

Of course, everyone is different. To get started, experiment with different ways of meditating to see what work for you and what helps you the most. Also, try meditating at different times of the day and for different periods of time to find what works. It’s okay if you cannot calm your mind completely, (I rarely can!), you can still get many benefits from making the effort. Remember, you and your health are worth that effort!

Jenna Green is the creator Full of Grit & Grace, a blog and community for people who cannot work a traditional 9-5 job. She’s an outspoken spoonie with Multiple Sclerosis, Dystonia, Degenerative Disc disease, chronic pain, and a whole lot of grit. She strives to help others (and herself) to learn to give themselves grace while going through tough times. She’s a dog mom, auntie extradonaire, fashion lover, and (mostly) optimist.