#Peace starter meditation relax app how to#

You can also find guided meditations online through videos or podcasts. There are plenty of meditation apps - some free, some that require a fee - that offer guided meditations. 'This takes the work off of you since all you have to do is listen and be present in the moment.' 'Some people can meditate without anything at all, but most people like to use guided meditations,' explains Gallien. 'What I always tell people is that it's best to start by determining what you hope to get it out of it and having a plan for what you want it to look like,' says Gallien. Once you've opted into the idea of meditation, your next question is likely how exactly you should go about doing it. It's why the stress reduction and relaxation that comes from meditating can indirectly help improve everything from your sleep to high blood pressure and more. 'Those are the direct benefits, but meditation can indirectly benefit you, too, since stress, anxiety and depression can impact our health.' 'Meditation really allows you to re-center and clear your head of negative thoughts or feelings of self-doubt, so it can absolutely help with anxiety and depression,' says Gallien. The goal of meditation is to help yourself reset mentally so you find your focus and move toward the things you want to achieve. 'Guided meditation is great because you're prompted through controlling your breath, grounding your mind and your thoughts, and reframing toward whatever it is you're trying to focus on, whether that's happiness or energy or something else,' explains Gallien. Many people find that following guided meditation is helpful for this reason. Gallien says that controlling your breaths in and out can help bring you to a state of calmness where you can more easily ground yourself and control your energy. Tied to the process of meditation is a minimization of distraction and a focus on breathing. 'First you need to clear out the thoughts and clutter of the day or week crowding your mind - such is life, right? - and meditation is a great tool for doing that.' 'Let's say you wake up in a bad mood and want to change your outlook to be more about happiness,' says Gallien.

Gallien uses the example of waking up on the wrong side of the bed to illustrate its use. 'If we can reframe our thoughts and find a fresh outlook - whether that's on how we feel about ourselves or something else - we can directly impact our mood and our actions.' 'Our thoughts impact our mood, and our mood impacts our behavior,' says Gallien. It’s a practice that uses mental and physical techniques to bring your mind toward a state where you can focus on reframing your viewpoint on things. It's the catalyst to get us to a state of mindfulness.' 'In this place of stillness, you can more easily let go of the thoughts and clutter of the past or future and gain the clarity that you're looking for. 'Mindfulness is the state of being present in the moment - in a healthy state of calmness, happiness, peace or tranquility,' explains Gallien. It helps to start by defining another term, mindfulness. Perhaps one of the biggest hang-ups people have about meditation is understanding what it is. To fill in the gaps in our knowledge, as well as correct any misconceptions we may have about it, Gallien is here to help us understand the benefits of meditation and share tips for getting started. 'And with meditation apps offering a variety of guided meditations these days, anyone can easily get started.'

'Anyone can benefit from meditation,' says Kimberly Gallien, a licensed social worker at Houston Methodist who meditates every day.

In addition, there might be things you, like many people, misunderstand about meditation.įor instance, you might think of it as something that takes years of practice and dedication, that's only for seriously focused, solitary or spiritual people, not the everyday person.

#Peace starter meditation relax app how to#

Also, if you're already considering meditation, you might wonder how to meditate exactly. You've certainly heard of meditation - after all, it's been practiced by people all over the world for thousands of years.īut how much do you actually know about it?įor starters, you might wonder how (or whether) it differs from mindfulness and deep breathing, two other practices often mentioned as ways to relax and reduce stress.