One of the activities in Niyama Wellness Retreat in Costa Rica is Meditation. Meditation plays such a vital role in my life. For instance, setting aside five to 20 minutes to meditate in the morning will prevent an hour of procrastination. I’ve been the guinea pig in my own experiment now for the past five years, having meditated for 20 minutes every morning and afternoon daily. In my opinion, it is the best way to bookend a day.
By beginning as we mean to go on, calmly, patiently, compassionately and with stillness, the day all of a sudden feels less rushed, less overwhelming and certainly less chaotic. We approach the more challenging parts of the day with slower breath and a calmly beating heart, as opposed to jumping in with both feet and reacting in unnecessary ways or saying things that we will later regret.
My meditation teacher believes that:
"99.9% of the population would meditate if it was sold as ‘Vitamin M' in a pill supplement form. Its benefits, that have been scientifically proven, read all too attractively to be refused."
Benefits of Meditation
Stress reduction
Reducing, or even preventing, anxiety
Increased emotional health, thus reduced depression
Increased self awareness
Improving attention span
Improved memory
Generates more kindness and compassion
Aids addiction recovery
Improved sleep
Better control over pain
Lowers blood pressure
Reduces negative emotions and loneliness
Strengthens immune system
20 minutes of Transcendental Meditation carries the same benefits as one full hour of sleep
Is there anything in that list you wouldn’t like to have? I didn’t think so! The problem is that we live in a world where we are all told that we are too busy and that everything needs to be done right this second. However, if we just stop for five minutes, or even two, it lets all of the fog and clutter disperse giving us more clarity and insight as to how to move forwards more productively and effectively.
Most Respected People in the World Accredit Meditation
In meditation, isn’t just for ‘hippies’, some of the most respected people in the world accredit meditation as having helped them become and stay successful. Have you heard of these people?
Oprah Winfrey
Jerry Seinfeld
Kobe Bryant
Tony Robbins
Paul McCartney
Lady Gaga
Hugh Jackman
Russell Brand
50 Cent
Jim Carey
Katy Perry
Jennifer Anniston
For me personally, two people I hugely respect on this list are Russell Brand and Jerry Seinfeld. Brand was living a life that was only going to lead to a tragic end, but with the help of meditation he is an example of how our addictions can be quelled. Seinfeld also claims that without meditation there is no way he would have had the energy or creativity to have made nine seasons of his award winning sitcom ‘Seinfeld’ in the 80s and 90s. He even said in jest that had he begun meditating twice a day sooner that maybe the show would have continued for longer as well!
Start Taking ´Vitamin M´ each day
I get it though, it's hard to compare ourselves to famous people. So, much like I have done, why not make yourself your own guinea pig? Why not start taking ´Vitamin M´ each day? Because if you wish to begin with a simple five or 10 minute morning meditation practice to activate all of these benefits, you only need to start waking up five or 10 minutes earlier each day. And once you begin to feel these benefits and people begin to tell you that you seem calmer, happier and more energetic you will only want to increase your meditation time and perhaps like me start bookending your day with it.
Whether you begin with breathing meditation, mindfulness meditation, mantra meditation, or perhaps like me going straight in with transcendental meditation, after a few weeks you will begin to notice the difference. For me personally, I notice it most in my resting heart rate - which is now slower - giving myself a three-second countdown in my mind before I respond or react, my compassion towards others and being able to fall asleep with ease each night - therefore also having far more energy the next day.
Time to Meditate
I am a huge believer that time is something that we do not have, it is something that we have to make. By making the time to meditate time will in turn make itself for you as if by magic, allowing you to live a happier, healthier and more productive life.
If you have any questions about meditation or about Niyama Wellness Retreats in Costa Rica, please email me here: mike@niyamacostarica.com.
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