A healthy lifestyle is composed of whole-body fitness.  That involves maintaining the physical and mental health of your entire body through the training and maintenance of the body, muscles and mind.  Meditation is an excellent form of mental training that helps to reduce stress and its specific purpose is to allow your mind and body to achieve complete relaxation.  Using meditation to accent your normal physical training routine will improve both your mental and physical health and increase your energy and overall happiness.

Meditation is also an excellent way to relieve stress.  Stress is a physically deconstructing factor that detracts from your body’s overall physical health.  A steady diet of meditation and relaxation is encouraged to reduce stress and improve your fitness.

First, it is important to dispel some of the misconceptions about meditation.  Rest assured that there is no necessity to climb to the top of a mountain, cross your legs and hold out your palms facing upwards with your eyes closed and search for the meaning of life.  

Effective meditation is simply allowing yourself to slow down just long enough to become in tune with what your body is feeling.  Your body is a complex organization of moving parts and its operation can often be enhanced by allowing it to become completely relaxed and free of worry or stress.  

Keys to Meditation

The first and most important step is to find a place where you can be alone and will not be interrupted.  Remove all distractions and turn off telephones, televisions and anything that will disrupt you during your meditation time.  Allow yourself a period of at least 15 minutes of uninterrupted time.

Sit either on the floor or in a chair and remain still.   Then clear your mind by preventing yourself to think about anything but sitting still and remaining calm.  Begin mediating by closing your eyes and starting to control your breathing, exhaling in and out.

Take deeper and deeper breaths by increasing counts between those breaths during the first two minutes of meditation.  Start with a two-count and increase to an eight-count or a count where you reach a level of comfort.  You can accomplish a more focused breathing period by imagining a wave covering your body from your head to your toes.  As the wave moves from the top of your body to the bottom, allow those parts of your body to relax as you inhale and exhale.  

During your breathing, allow your mind to focus on the release of stress and tension.  Notice how the breathing gives your body energy and more relaxation, and continue meditating until you are completely relaxed.  

As this happens, you will notice that you become acutely aware of the sounds around you.  Do not allow them to shift your focus; let them pass into your hearing and out without interference.  

End your meditation by slowly opening your eyes and allowing your breathing to slow down.  Sit calm for at least a few more moments after you are done to allow your body to reconnect with your surroundings.  Then, stand up to end your session and “return” to other activities.

Use this form of meditation at least once per week or as often as you need to in order to keep your stress levels down and your body and muscles relaxed.

Remember, there are several ways to effectively meditate and there are no ineffective methods as long as you achieve complete mental and physical relaxation.