Women's Health

How Meditation Can Protect You

Post by
September 14, 2022



With everything going on in the world right now, it is more important than ever for us to stay connected with ourselves. It is so easy to let the stress take over with the constant bombardment of negativity and fear. When we stress over what we cannot control, this only leads to more anxiety and therefore, more stress. It becomes a vicious, endless cycle. However, one thing we DO have control over is our mindset, which can be extremely powerful. 


One thing I used to practice very regularly was meditation. After I had Ryan and life got busier my practice fell to the side, but as the world is becoming more and more chaotic, I am reminded that I need to recenter myself and control my own thoughts and actions. Meditation can benefit anyone, pregnant or not.


We all know that stress is not good for us. It leads to many physical ailments in the body such as inflammation, low energy, insomnia, aches and pains, and can lead to a weakened immune system. All of these things are NOT something we need right now! We need to be filling our bodies with quality nutrition (think fresh fruits and veggies!), staying consistent with our exercise regimen (which reduces stress), getting at least 7.5 hours of sleep, AND maintaining a healthy mind body connection, which is where meditation comes in!



Meditation has been shown to:


1. Reduce stress and anxiety

2. Boost one's immune system

3. Decrease pain and inflammation 

4. Increase cognitive function 

5. Improve sleep quality 

6. Lower blood pressure


These are just a few of the top benefits but there are many more. Meditation also helps you to stay grounded. This means you have the ability to stay connected to the core of who you are in the midst of uncertainty and chaos.


Now you might think okay meditation sounds great, but I don't know how to do it or I've tried it but I'm not good at it and I can't focus. Let me start off by saying there is no right or wrong way. When you first begin your meditation practice, it might only last 3-5 minutes, and that's okay. Be patient with yourself.

One of the most important things with meditation is our breath and learning how to control it. When you first begin, close your eyes and focus on deep belly breaths. Place one hand on your chest and your other hand on your stomach. When you inhale, focus on filling up your belly with air. Your hand on your stomach should rise. The hand on your chest should not move. As you continue, breathe deep into your belly through your nose and slowly release your air each time, feeling your stomach deflate. The first few weeks I began meditating this was all I focused on - controlling my breath and making sure that I had nice deep inhalations. You want to avoid shallow chest breaths as this can actually increase your anxiety/stress. Start doing this for a few minutes, then each time maybe add a minute or two. Just being mindful of your breath is a huge first step. You will also notice that by focusing on your breath, this might bring you a sense of clarity because for a short time you are not thinking about any external factors. Put on a meditation playlist (I use Pandora and youtube often), set a timer on your phone (only if you are limited on time), find a quiet place and just close your eyes and breathe. If outside thoughts creep into your mind, don't let this bring you down. Accept the thoughts as they come in, thank them for their presence, and then let them go. Self love and acceptance are a huge part of meditation, so never judge yourself if you are unable to stay focused the entire time. Thoughts are always coming into my mind, so I envision a little "thought cloud", I recognize it, and then I let it fly away. Then I go back to focusing on my breath. Repeat this each time you meditate and over time, the thoughts that come in will become less and less. When I first started, I downloaded a guided meditation on Audible so that I could have some guidance because I didn’t feel like I was disciplined enough to do it on my own and this helped a lot! 

For my pregnant ladies out there, meditating is also an incredible way to connect with your baby. I felt so connected with Ryan when she was still inside me and it really brought me a sense of peace at times when I was super stressed. During meditation I connected with the idea that she was safe and that we could get through anything together. I know it is scary to think about the uncontrollables, but if we protect ourselves mentally through meditation and do everything we can physically (quality nutrition, exercise, sleep) to keep our mind and bodies strong, we are setting ourselves and our babies up for the greatest success! That goes for everyone, pregnant or not! 


❤️


Mantra: "My body is healthy. My mind is strong. I am in control of my thoughts and actions." Repeat this throughout the day or during your meditation practice.

xoxo

Coach Tay


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