The practice of mediation goes back thousands of years.  The term ‘meditation’ refers to varying practices that engage the mind and body to promote calm and overall wellbeing.  Meditation can take a variety of forms such as mindfulness, breathing, sound bath, mantras, yoga, and more. Mediation can have positive health benefits along with reduction in stress and anxiety.

A simple way to begin the practice of meditation is to utilize guided meditations.  These can be as short as 1 minute and up to an hour.  The meditation will be narrated so the listener can focus on what is being said as they are guided through the steps.  There are an abundance of free resources that can be accessed through online sources and apps.  The focus of meditations are diverse and include: sleep, relaxation, self compassion, body scan, mindfulness, and more.  Guided meditations are a beautiful way to take a few minutes to reset, relax, and find focus.

Guided meditations:

** Self Compassion Guided Practices - https://self-compassion.org/category/exercises/#guided-meditations

** UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center https://www.uclahealth.org/programs/marc/free-guided-meditations/guided-meditations

(multiple languages)

** InsightTimer https://insighttimer.com/guided-meditations

Apps for guided meditations

** Insight Timer -Available for iOS and Android

**  UCLA Mindful - Available for iOS and Android

**  Smiling Mind - Available for iOS and Android

**  Healthy Minds Program - Available for iOS and Android

https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/meditation-and-mindfulness-what-you-need-to-know