Losing weight with meditation

Posted August 19, 2013 by Shepell-fgi

Meditation is renowned for calming the psyche and providing a boost for mental health. But did you know that it is also good for the body?

Modern medical thought is increasingly recognizing the health benefits of meditation. The UK’s National Health Service prescribes a form of meditation called Mindful Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) for depression and anxiety, and as a complementary treatment for cancer and chronic pain sufferers. It has been found to reduce pain, blood pressure, lactic acid levels, heart rate, breathing rate and metabolic rate.

But that’s not all! Many believe meditation can help control weight gain, especially around the mid-section, often caused by stress and increased levels of cortisol. Studies have found that blood cortisol levels drop during meditation and stay low for hours afterwards. The less cortisol in your blood, the less you’ll crave high-fat, high-carbohydrate comfort foods. While meditation shouldn’t replace a good diet and regular exercise, it will definitely help you reach or maintain a healthy body weight.

If meditation doesn’t appeal to you, consider a more active approach like Tai-Chi (meditation in motion). The British Heart Foundation recommends active meditation such as Tai-Chi to aid in recovery from illness, reduce stress and help keep your heart healthy. Tai Chi gives you all the benefits of traditional meditation and increases your stability, flexibility and core strength. With such undeniably attractive benefits, how can you resist spending 10 minutes each day simply breathing and relaxing?

Of course, learning to meditate can be daunting, but the important thing is to not allow it to stress you out! There are many different forms of meditation and whichever method you choose, you really can’t go wrong.  As you progress in your meditation practice, you’ll become more relaxed and reap the rewards.  If you’re not sure which meditation style is for you, just stick to these few handy hints.

How to meditate for beginners

• Set aside a regular time each day – perhaps 10 minutes in the morning and evening.
• Always meditate in the same place – that way, you’ll begin to associate it with calmness and peace of mind.
• Control your breathing – take slow, deep breaths.
• Focus on a single point – this is the part that people find the most difficult as it involves focusing the mind. Some use a candle or other physical point to focus their attention, while others count their breaths or focus on sensations felt in the body. Use whatever works for you, and when you get distracted, simply return to your point of focus.
• Experiment – play around with different methods, times, and places to find the meditation that suits you best.
• Whatever you do, stick with it – even when you get frustrated. Like everything in life, it takes time to get the hang of it – that’s why it’s often referred to as meditation practice.

Whether you’re trying to maintain weight or lose a few pounds, our health and nutrition counsellors can help set you on the right path. Visit workhealthlife.com or call 1 866 833-7690.

Follow

Tags: meditation, stress relief, weight Loss

• ← Previous
• Next →