Why Meditation Is Important – Upspoken
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Self Care Culture

Why Meditation Is Important

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I’d never want to be anything other than a Black woman, but it doesn’t mean it’s always easy.

We go through a lot in our everyday lives, and it’s important to take time to recharge. One of the ways we can practice loving ourselves is through meditation. The goal of meditation is to calm and quiet your mind—eventually reaching a higher level of awareness and inner calm. Below are four reasons to try meditation today!

Meditation reduces stress.

Meditation lowers the levels of cortisol in our bodies, a hormone released when we’re stressed. When we are aware of our experiences through meditation, it helps us stop obsessing over the past and stop worrying over the future. Also, meditation helps boost the immune system, improve concentration and improve sleep, all of which ensures that we stay healthy and slaying the game.

It’s FREE.

There are many different ways to practice meditation. You can do it in your room, on the bus during your commute, in a park, anywhere! And if you don’t know where to start, there are apps like Headspace, which teaches you the basics of meditation and has a free beginner’s pack with 10 courses to help you get started. Lauren Ash, the founder of Black Girl In Om, also offers free guided meditations. Here’s one soul-calming guided meditation from her and here’s another that focuses on self-compassion.

There is no wrong or right way to do it.

There’s a myth that in order to be good at mediation, you have to be able to stop all the thoughts in your mind and get your mind to go blank. Guess what? Not true! Meditation isn’t about stopping all your thoughts, but about simply noticing them, rather than engaging with them. When we simply notice our thoughts, then we can also notice the quiet moments in between thoughts, and we find the space to enjoy the silence. Plus, there are lots of things you can do to while meditating that help you keep from getting caught up in your thoughts. You can focus on your breathing, use visualization, or repeat a mantra.

It’s all about YOU, and that’s okay.

We spend a lot of time thinking about others, but it’s just as important to think about ourselves and what we need to sustain the magic that we are. Meditation helps us to focus on our needs, build healthy relationships, envision the lives we want to live, and to go after our dreams.

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