March, it landed upon us… What is this new virus? Uncertainty was the new norm. Kids had to stay at home and home-schooling became the new normal. People began stocking their cupboards with toilet paper, canned goods and more. Was this virus to become the third World War? Or worse?
It also brought togetherness, people offered to go shopping for people who were infected, volunteer rates at elderly homes grew and taking care of your older neighbour, knowing that together we would come through this and be stronger.
The current year has been tough for many of us. After we all came out of the first lockdown, only for a second to strike and it is still uncertain how things will look over Christmas. Can we celebrate together with our family? Can we invite friends to come over? Would we be allowed to travel home? Uncertainty is a definite source of stress and it has been a very uncertain year.
We also started to look at what is most important for us. Who do we want to be close to? What do we want from life? Having the kids at home was tough, but also brought old-fashioned family togetherness. People moved back to their home country, or even back with parents. People become more connected within.
So, how do we want to live our lives? Meditation and mindful living is an ancient old practice and is part of the everyday life of a monk and many others in the east. In the west, we recognise this wisdom especially in tough times as we bring about a more open-minded/willingness to change. There have been countless studies and reports written that a meditation practice can support us and with that meditation, apps are booming. But do we know why?
Meditation makes you connect within
There are different forms of meditation, but let’s look at the most common one that most people start learning through meditation apps, like the Silatha Meditation app. It’s a practice of focus. Being focussed on one thing only, often the breath. What this does, it frees up space in your mind. For the short time that you’re not thinking, you give your mind a well-deserved break.
What does that mean?
It helps to connect within. You free up space to connect with your inner world. By design, we are not built to withstand continuous stress such as a to-do list that fills every minute of the day. We are made to work 3 hours a day and the rest of the time we would reflect and connect. But life has changed dramatically with the times yet the stress is often still too taxing on us. This is where meditation can help to connect inwardly and reconnect to who we are at a core level and to acknowledge how we feel.
Meditation makes you connect more with others
Meditation helps to connect with others. As you are more in contact with your own being, it helps you to have space for others around you. Hear what they are going through, be there for them, feel their feelings. Being there for others is increases our purpose and grows our sense of belonging.
The aim of meditation is not to push aside stress or block out negative thinking, but rather to notice those thoughts and feelings, all the while understanding that you don’t have to act on them. It’s about recognising them and creating some distance. Let the emotions pass by. As you will see they will.
The benefits of meditations are countless
Because of the new neuropathways, you create in your brain through meditation, you start to respond differently to a stressful situation. Resulting in better sleep, lower heart rate reduced anxiety, ability to focus better, feel more in control of your life, feel happier, and so on. On top of all this is stability and added support meditation brings that will get through the uncertain times we are unfortunately still in. If this has in some way convinced you to finally pick up that meditation habit you’ve been thinking of or perhaps had on your New Year resolution list for far too long, we would encourage you to take action and start!
There are many ways to get started, through retreats and monasteries, but maybe that doesn’t fit into your already jam-packed schedule? Try the simplicity and ease that comes through the Silatha meditation app. You will be guided through each meditation and learn simple steps to make big changes in your life. Try the Silatha meditation app today, it’s the no1 app in creating a daily habit and is specifically focused on women. www.silatha.com
Author Bio: Silatha Founder, Veroniek Vermeulen, is on a quest to break women’s mental health taboos and support women through their mental health issues with meditation.
Veroniek enjoyed a long career as a Senior-level marketing expert. At some point in her professional life, she realised that status and money weren’t making her happy. A life-changing experience amidst the beautiful surroundings of the Himalayas got her in contact with meditation and this led to the creation of Silatha, a company that wants to improve the mental health of women harnessing a special meditation method that becomes a long-lasting habit: www.silatha.com
More information can be found here: the Silatha app [Android & Apple] and on socials.