Meditation is a mental process in which you train your mind to focus on your thoughts and increase awareness. It helps attain an emotionally stable state, reduce stress and relax your body and mind. Therefore, it is often used as complementary medicine to treat many physical and mental illnesses.
Despite so many benefits of meditation, many people still do not try it. Bound by their hectic schedules, they are not able to spare a long duration, and they believe meditation is only effective if practised regularly in lengthy sessions. But, this is not true. Even 5 minutes of meditation can help you feel less stressed. It can help you feel relaxed and yield numerous health benefits to the body and mind.
How To Practice 5-Minute Meditation?
The following steps will help you practice meditation for 5 minutes anywhere anytime.
- Set A Timer
Whenever you feel that you can spare 5 minutes to meditate, sit in a comfortable position and set a timer. It will help you relax and not worry about meditating for long.
- Relax Your Body And Breathe
Once you are all set to meditate, close your eyes and relax. Take a few deep and long breaths. Try to inhale and hold your breath for five counts and focus on your body parts. For the first count, start inhaling from the belly. Then on the second count, move into the ribs. Continue moving upwards to the chest and then finally into the crown of the head. For the last and fifth count, hold your breath steady. Then slowly start exhaling in the reverse direction (from the crown to the belly).
- Concentrate On Your Breath
Visualize these breaths as you inhale and exhale. Feel the stress escaping from your body with every breath. Concentrating on your breaths will also prevent your mind from wandering away.
- Do Not Stop The Flow Of Thoughts
Meditation aims at clearing your mind. However, it does not mean that you forcefully stop the thoughts from entering your mind. In meditation, you have to acknowledge these thoughts and let them pass without any guilt. All you have to do is try to bring your focus back to the present every time your mind wanders away.
- Continue With Your Day
After 5 minutes, open your eyes and return to your day feeling more relaxed and rejuvenated. Focus on the sensations in your body as you open your eyes and bring your concentration back to your surroundings. This 5-minute meditation will help you feel more relaxed and rejuvenated throughout the day.
Tips For Practising 5-Minute Meditation
- Make sure you are sitting in a comfortable position in a peaceful surrounding.
- Do not focus on meditating the right way. It can make meditation even more stressful. Let thoughts enter your mind and then return your focus to the present.
- Experiment with your style of meditation. Use meditation music or aromatherapy to meditate better.
- Try to practice meditation every day. Regular practice can help you become less reactive to stressful situations.
- Once you get comfortable with the 5-minute meditation, try to increase your duration a few times per week. It will enhance your practice.
Benefits Of 5-Minute Meditation
5-minute meditation has been proven highly beneficial in reducing stress and boosting brain functions. It is also effective in improving focus, self-compassion, mood, and sleep. Furthermore, the five minutes spent in meditation can also slow down the aging process, enhance immune functions and develop a healthy metabolism.
Some more benefits of 5-minute meditation are:
- Control hypertension
- Lowers inflammation
- Relieves symptoms of menopause
- Enhances emotional coping skills
- Reduces the rate of stressful and anxious thoughts
- Improves overall well-being
- Boosts mental performance
Takeaway
When you cannot spare a long duration for meditation every day, squeeze in 5 minutes for meditating anywhere anytime. Even a 5-minute meditation can help relieve stress and boost your mental and physical health.
