5 Ways to Incorporate Meditation into Your Day

Meditation has tremendous benefits—science proves it. However, not many people actively practice meditation. Work pressures, home responsibilities, and other social obligations prevent us from getting the much-needed break to reconnect with our inner selves through meditation. Meditation reconnects us with our inner selves and provides a much-needed opportunity to examine our thoughts and engage in conscious relaxation to rejuvenate and regenerate with greater energy and enthusiasm.

If you’re a busy person or someone completely new to meditation, here are five simple ways to incorporate meditation into your daily routine:

1. Start Small
We’re all busy, and meditation takes time to practice and get used to. Teachers always ask their students to start small and practice slow meditation. Choosing a specific time of day and using that time for meditation will force your brain to begin to accept the new routine. Start with simple breathing exercises throughout the day, such as during lunch, immediately after waking up, or before bed. You can easily incorporate meditation into your daily life by simply practicing focused breathing exercises for just a short period of time.

2. Body Scan
Another way to incorporate meditation into your daily life is by scanning your body and practicing gradual relaxation meditation. Start by simply shifting your focus to each part of your body, from your head to your toes.
Slowly and gradually begin scanning your body and counting backwards from 100 to 1, continuing to focus on each part of your body.

3. Work with Your Feelings and Sensations
Focusing on the feelings and sensations of your body can also be a good start to meditation. Welcoming the feelings, sensations, sounds, and images you experience in your daily life can help you pause and feel at peace with yourself.
Welcoming all feelings and sensations encourages you to accept things as they are and will further calm you. Stop resisting your feelings and welcome everything. Over time, you’ll experience the full benefits of meditation simply by doing this.

4. Find a Community
If you’re busy or unsure how to start meditating, it’s also a good idea to find a friend or group—online or otherwise—to support you in incorporating meditation into your daily life. Engaging in accountability or community involvement is a great way to keep you on track and encourage a routine engagement in meditation.
Once you begin interacting with others, you’ll feel more confident in yourself and more comfortable engaging in meditation on a daily basis.

5. Use apps
There are many apps that can help you learn meditation or encourage you to do breathing exercises. Meditation has its benefits. The above methods are simple ways to make meditation a routine. Practice self-care, and you can be on your way to a stress-free life.