Meditation is a powerful tool that can be used to help with anxiety as well as manifesting. Many people use meditation for anxiety, and I am one of them.
What is Meditation?
Okay so I am not an expert when it comes to meditation, but I do love the benefits it gives me and hopefully it can help someone else.
Meditation is the practice of being mindful by focusing on something like your breath or body with the goal of reaching a calm state.
There are many different types of meditation like mindfulness, mantra, movement, and visualization to name a few.
Mindfulness meditation is probably the most popular. This is when you sit and observe your thoughts without trying to control them. Most people find it helpful to focus on their breathing as well with mindfulness meditation.
Mantra meditation is the act of repeating a word or phrase during meditation. They are usually positive and invoke emotion.
Movement meditation is exactly what it sounds like, you move in a meditative way. This can be on a walk or doing Qigong which is a form of movement meditation.
Visualization meditation is when you use positive images to affirm things during a meditation. This can be linked to manifesting.
Why I Meditate
I meditate for many reasons.
I just recently graduated college and you can read a post about it here. Post-graduation can be tough for some people and meditating has helped me navigate it.
Anxiety
Controlling my anxiety is one of the reasons I meditate. If I find myself getting anxious, I will take a couple of minutes and meditate to help regulate my breathing and calm my mind. I have also noticed if I don’t consistently meditate then my anxiety gets worse.
Presence
Another reason I meditate is to be more present. Meditation helps your mind not wander and keeps you in the moment. I find that when I meditate regularly, I am more likely to stay present and not think about the past or future.
Manifesting
I also use meditation for manifesting. Visualization meditation can be used to manifest things for yourself. Manifesting is the idea of putting out into the universe what you desire and it comes to you.
Self-love
My self-love has also improved because of meditation. You can use meditation to help rewire your brain to have more positive self-talk.
How to Meditate
There are many ways you can meditate.
You can meditate sitting, lying, eyes open, eyes closed, or moving.
I personally like to meditate laying down with my eyes closed. This allows me to fully relax during my session.
Meditation can also be done at any time during the day.
Some people prefer to start their day with meditation and others prefer to end their day with meditation. You can also choose to meditate at any point during the day when you feel like it.
I used to meditate regularly in the morning, and it was a great start to my day. More recently I haven’t stuck strictly to the morning, and I find it just as effective.
Meditating in the morning was nice because it allowed to start me my day grounded and set an intention.
Now when I meditate during the day it is more of a reset for the rest of the day. It is nice to check in with my body and mind and see how they are doing.
You can play around with it when you meditate and find the best position and time for you.
Another thing I suggest is listening to guided meditations.
This is how I started my mediation journey and I still use them now.
Apps I Love
I have tried lots of different meditation apps.
Some of them you have to pay for but there are plenty of free apps and resources that you don’t have to pay for.
Headspace
Headspace is probably the most popular meditation app. They have a free version and a paid version. In my opinion, the free version is not that great. If you want to get the most out of Headspace you have to pay for the app which is $70 annually.
Ten Percent Happier
Another app that has a free and paid version is Ten Percent Happier. This is a similar situation to Headspace because they have very few meditations for free and if you want more you have to pay for membership. A year-long membership is $100.
Both of these options are great and if you enjoy the free versions, you might enjoy the paid versions. But if you are on a tight budget like me and want to save money, I have a great free option for you.
Insight Timer
Insight Timer is the best free meditation app in my opinion. They have thousands of free guided meditations ranging in topics and duration. There is a paid version if you want to do any of the courses and it is only $60 a year which is cheaper than the other two apps I mentioned.
I have used Insight Timer for a long time now and I am never disappointed with the guided meditations. They also have talks and music that I think is just as great, but I haven’t tried them.
There are benefits to the paid app like more personalization and tracking abilities but with Insight Timer you have access to just as many meditations and all for free!
Spotify
An alternative to Insight Timer if you don’t like it is to check Spotify. There are many different meditations on the app; if you already use it, then it is no extra cost to you. I have done a few mediations on Spotify, but Insight Timer is still my go-to.
YouTube
Another option would be to check out YouTube. You can find quick 5-to-10-minute meditations or hour-long meditation music. There is something for everyone on there and it is all free.
Using meditation for anxiety is very popular and you might find it will help you too.