I remember my early meditation days 24 yeas ago. Quieting the mind was not something that came easily for me, in fact, it was downright painful, leading me to avoided meditating more days than I practiced it. I soon learned, avoiding was not the answer! After exploring different types of meditations, they soon became my sanctuary, affording me the tools I needed to cope with stress, anxiety, and trauma.

As a meditation teacher, I am often questioned about the benefits of meditation, often hearing; “ I tried it a few times, and it didn’t really help me quieten my mind”, to which I normally reply “ Nothing in life works if you only do it a few times”, you can’t attend a few lectures and expect to pass the course, exercise a few days to achieve the body you want, or work on your business a few days and expect it to be successful.

What is mindfulness?
“Mindfulness is awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally,” says Kabat-Zinn, the founder of the Mindfulness-Based Stress reduction clinic
 Mindfulness is not one simple exercise but is the ability for us to be fully present and aware of where we are and what we are doing. As a result, mindfulness helps prevent us from overly reacting or being overwhelmed by events going on around us. By applying mindfulness to our daily moments, we change the effect our external environment (the world around us) has on our internal environment (our body, emotions, and mind).

What is meditation?
The ability to meditate has often been misunderstood as a mystical art — but it is nothing of the sort. Meditation is a mental exercise that involves relaxation, focus and awareness. It has been used for thousands of years in the East. Even though types have been practiced in Buddhist, Hindu, and Jewish traditions for over 5,000 years, as a modern endeavour, it is very young, but probably fell out of practice in the West because life became too busy. The saying, “different strokes for different folks”, applies to meditation. Like any exercise, meditation needs practice and requires an experienced teacher, to help guide, support, and encourage you through your journey.

Mindfulness meditation
Mindfulness meditation has become one of the most practiced forms of meditation in the US. Some of this increasing awareness has followed because studies have shown that mindfulness meditation is of great benefit to a range of people struggling with an array of health issues. For example, scientist say that it could help those with disorders such as anxiety, depression, eating disorders and chronic pain. It has even been proved to change brain function, which not only helps manage anxiety but helps fight addiction.   
According to a Global Wellness Summit Trend Report last year, rates of anxiety and depression are rapidly increasing worldwide-

 “Globally, one in six people now has at least one mental or substance abuse disorder (over 1.1 billion people)—with anxiety disorder ranking #1. In the UK, 67 percent of people report that they’re more stressed than they were five years ago”

With our current global situation, and the constant uncertainty we are having to navigate, mindfulness meditation is a low-cost approach, to incorporate into daily life to help you take back control over your physical and mental health.