Meditating to Manage Stress

You don’t have to do anything perfectly here. Sit. breathe. That’s it. If you notice a thought. Say, “hey thought” and let it pass. Focus on your breath the best you can. Even 3 minutes is beneficial. 5 minutes is even better. 10 min? Homerun!

I started meditating off and on in the early 2000s, but my practice has been consistent since 2016. It has 100% changed my life. How you ask? Meditating calms the central nervous system by activating the parasympathetic system. This is your rest and digest system. It tells your body that everything is all good and gives it permission to function in healthy ways. Oftentimes, we operate out of our sympathetic nervous system. This is the one that says, “you’re not safe, it’s time to freakout!” even when there is nothing really to freakout about. Maybe you’ve heard it called fight or flight before. When we are constantly operating from that platform, we are damaging our adrenal system which can be the culprit of numerous illnesses and disorders. Let’s not do that, ok?

How cool is it to know that the path to heal and destress is literally as close to you as your breath. There are several apps that you can use on your phone to guide you through various meditations. I am a big fan of Insight Timer. I am a teacher on the app and am among 1,000s of others that are wonderful at leading you through the meditation process.

I hope this is the start of a beautiful journey for you.

Inhale. Exhale. Deeply.

Love,

Holly