Weight Loss Spotlight

Meditation

Weight Loss & Meditation

When we talk about living a healthy lifestyle we sometimes forget the mental aspect of health. It's not enough to exercise our bodies, eat healthy and sleep enough if we ignore the health of our mind. The connection between our mind and our body is far more powerful then we have yet to discover. Some research has been done showing what powerful effect our mind has on our body's reactions, physical state and recovering ability.

One thing that we can learn how to do in our daily life is to take a few minutes for ourselves every day and meditate. It doesn't have to be as complicated as going to a group session or a class or anything. All you have to do is learning how to clear your mind from all thoughts and take yourself to a peaceful and quiet place in your mind.

The benefit this has on your mind is far more long term then the 15 minutes it takes for you to do this. Meditation has been a well-known secret to inner peace for a long time in the Asian cultures but hasn't been as accepted in the Western society. Once you try it and discover the feeling of inner strength and harmony it will leave you with, you make it a daily task. It can be done anywhere you feel comfortable and able to tune out and just be for a little while. Some people do it while they are running or walking on the treadmill. Others close the door to their office and take a moment for themselves. Whatever feels right for you works.

There are organized group and classes for meditation if that would work better for you in the beginning maybe. You learn how to turn your mind off and just exist. The breathing is important as well as the body position in order for the energy to be able to flow freely through every cell and limb of your body.

It's kind of like yoga for the mind.

Since the mind and body is very strongly connected meditation can also aid in weight loss. If your mind is strong and centered you won't be as easily affected by all the feelings and situations around you that could set you off on a food binging trip. The stronger your mind is the more self-control you will have and be more able to take full control of your life including your weight and lifestyle.

The importance of a healthy mind has everything to do with weight loss. This is where it all starts. If you mind could be in control of your body when you gained the weight it can be in control of it to lose the weight as well. You just have to train yourself how to think and how to process any feeling and emotion that will cause you to take to food for comfort.

You have probably seen the famous meditation position seated with the legs crossed in front of your body and your hands hanging by your side palms up. This is the ultimate meditation position but if you are more comfortable lying down or leaning against something go ahead and do that. The point is to find a position in which you can stay for a while without getting uncomfortable and tired whatever that might be for you.

Most people close their eyes when meditating just to be able to close everything surrounding them out. This is also a personal detail but it seems easier to block everything else out while closing your eyes. Try it and see what works for you.

There is also CD's and cassettes available with meditation music. Some tapes include directions on how to sit and how to place your hands and fingers to open up your energy flow even more. The music on these tapes is usually instrumental in order to relax you mind from any words and thought associated with them.