Mindful Meditation

Do you remember the good old days of preschool? They stand out especially vividly in my mind - all of those years of ice cream for snack and catching frogs on the playground are impossible to forget. An additional element of preschool that I loved were the Lazy Lizard Yoga Classes. I remember always trying to claim the pink yoga mat before my friend Grace. The pose my four-year-old self looked forward to every class was sitting criss-cross applesauce and going 'Hmmmmmmmmmm.' This is also known as Easy Pose, or Sukhasana, which I didn't know back then. I felt like a super cool master of martial arts, like Master Shifu in Kung Fu Panda. It made me feel dignified, and also a little bit giggly. While I didn't know it then, those classes perched on a pink yoga mat (or sometimes green, if Grace got the pink one first) were my first attempts at meditation.

Meditation is becoming very popular in my neck of the woods, and rightfully so. In fact, there is a mediation club in the flat above the dance studio I attend. It must be extraordinarily hard to meditate when there are the sounds of clicking tap shoes below. That would be awful.

According to Wikipedia, "Meditation can be defined as a practice where an individual uses a technique, such as focusing their mind on a particular object, thought or activity, to achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm state." Many associate the practice with Buddhism, as it is often exercised on the path of religion awakening for the culture. The Buddha saw two benefits of meditation: serenity and insight. However, meditation has also been taken up by non-Buddhists who also seek such tranquility. Western Buddhism does not typically concern the deities or after-life ideas of traditional Buddhism, but instead emphasizes the benefits of breathing. Of stopping for a moment and appreciating the world around us. Of pondering life. Now, meditation is no easy feat. It has been said that those who say a minute goes by quickly have never done a plank. I believe that those who say a minute goes by quickly have never tried meditation. It is quite the struggle to focus solely on the breath, or another object or idea. Meditation can be exhausting your first time. If you are anything like me, you'll feel really goofy, just sitting and breathing. But trust me, friends; it is so worth it. Along with the challenge, meditation comes with lots of benefits. I have listed some below that I have noticed during my daily practice:

1. Meditation reduces my stress. It is summer now, so I'm feeling positively wonderful! But during the school year, I happen to be a very anxious person. There are books to be read, workouts to be completed, cooking to be done, chores to finish, homework to attend to... ugh. Sitting back for even two minutes to just breath, or to listen to a guided meditation, helps me feel more centered and in control of my time.
2. It encourages a healthy lifestyle. When I meditate, I feel more grateful for what I have, be it my body, my mind, my friends, or my family. It helps me to recognize what my priorities really are: to be happy and healthy, and to help others to do the same. Because of this, I find that I have greater self-motivation to respect myself and others. I am encouraged to feed my body nourishing food and energizing exercise, and to get plenty of sleep. When you have set time to reflect and ponder, you begin to realize that it doesn't matter whether you get the pink or green yoga mat.
3. It increases my concentration. After a good meditation session, I feel super energetic and, if this makes any sense, alive. My productivity tends to increase, too. I'm less likely to get distracted, because my mind is more focused. This is really nice on nights with homework, because I finish it faster. Then there is time for Stranger Things... I mean, then there is time for the things that really matter.
4. Huffpost elaborates that "Studies show that meditation changes brain physiology to slow aging. 'Cognition seems to be preserved in meditators,' says Sara Lazar, a researcher at Harvard University. Lazar adds that meditators also have more gray matter – literally, more brain cells. Lazar’s colleague, Elizabeth Hoge, did a study that showed that meditators also have longer telomeres, the caps on chromosomes indicative of biological age (rather than chronological)." Meditation can also promote the health of your immune system.
5. I feel happier. Isn't it nice to put things into perspective? I think that is why we watch movies and read books - to escape from our chaotic world and thrust ourselves into someone else's shoes. With meditation, the perspective change is slightly different. While you still feel as though you are viewing life through a different lens, it is your own life. This happens to be incredibly enlightening. You are able to distinguish between the distractions in life and the bigger picture, something that makes me feel infinitely happier. A new outlook of self-awareness helps loads. Finally, I feel more accepting of my body and comfortable in my own skin.

And by the way, you will likely never master meditation. Your mind will wander down memory lane or into the future's possibilities when you're trying (with all of your might) to concentrate on each breath. But that's okay. It's actually my favorite part of meditation - there is no such thing as success or failure, winning or losing. That, my friends, is a rarity in our society. Enjoy it while you can.

The pink yoga mat is always the best!

-Maya

Photo by Steven Spassov on Unsplash, Photo by Manja Benic on Unsplash,

Photo by Brian Mann on Unsplash, Photo by Le Minh Phuong on Unsplash