Is meditation the ultimate Body Love practice? Yes! And here’s how to start.
It took a broken wrist, a minor car accident, and a speeding ticket within a month for me to start meditating regularly. I hope by reading this post, it won’t take all of that for you to start too. Especially when it’s so important for Body Love.
I’ll never forget running into work holding my speeding ticket, tears welling up in my eyes, and saying to my boss, “Why is this all happening to me???” His response was, “You’re not being very mindful.” That comment (said very kindly by the way), was like a switch going on in my head. I’d tried meditating many times, but this was the moment that I decided I needed to become more mindful. I engaged a mindfulness coach and within a few weeks, I had a regular practice. Even though I’ve strayed from regular practice from time to time, it’s something I keep coming back to because I can see how much it helps both my physical and mental health.
Read on to find out why meditation is such a great self-care practice and how it directly supports body love.
Science-backed benefits of a regular meditation practice.
Over the years there have been many studies into why meditation is so beneficial for mind, body & spirit. Anyone who has experienced a gentle guided meditation knows that they feel better afterward, and research tells us there are multiple physical and mental benefits of a regular practice. Here are the main ones:
· Depression support
· Becoming kinder to self and others
· Boosting concentration and information retention
· Increased self-awareness
· Better sleep
· Decreased sensitivity to pain
· Decreased blood pressure
· Stress reduction
· Addiction control
· Manage anxiety
(You can read more about the studies here)
With so many benefits of meditation, it’s a wonder we don’t all practice it. I’ve heard a few meditation teachers compare meditation to medication (but not replace it of course!) If we are told to pop a pill every day we’ll do it, but with so many benefits of meditation, we could all benefit from practicing it every day along with taking our medications.
But as someone who used to find meditation hard, I can understand why we don’t. It’s because we all lead such busy lives, so who has the time? Plus, our minds are full of thoughts, ideas, and plans, and it’s hard to stay quiet for a few minutes. But don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. There are heaps of ways to meditate which I’m about to share, plus I’ve got some hacks too.
Different types of meditation
The usual I response I get to asking my clients to try meditation is, “Oh I can’t meditate because my mind is too busy.” Here are a few different options that don’t require silence and a completely clear mind. Some of these options give you something to do!
Mindfulness/breath-focused meditation – spend a few minutes focusing on your breath. When you notice you’ve started thinking about other things, bring your awareness back to your breath.
Yoga/Tai Chi/Qi Gong – a moving meditation can be great for people who struggle to sit still. These practices, especially when taught by an experienced teacher, can help you stay in the present moment (because you are usually too busy to think about anything else!)
Walking Meditation – like moving meditations, this is good for those people who like to be active. But adding mindfulness to a walk can enhance the experience – taking time to notice your feet on the ground, the smells, the air on your skin, the trees and plants around you, and the sounds of the birds.
Guided Meditation – using an app like Insight Timer with a teacher guiding you can be a great way to focus on something in your life that needs support like sleep or stress reduction.
Candle Meditation – focusing on a single object for a few minutes can be a great way to stay in the present moment.
Mantra-based meditation – this is the type I am practicing now. I use my mala beads to track myself saying 108 affirmations. Not only does this keep me mindful, but it also helps to teach me new ways of thinking about myself and the world around me.
Visualisation – this is when a teacher will guide you through a mental journey to help you tap into a new realisation or intention for your life.
Mindfulness Noting – in this practice, you aim to focus on your breath but then start to note what type of thoughts you are having. For example, if you start to think about what’s for dinner, that’s planning, if you start to think about your job interview next week, that’s worrying, if you start to think about how you upset your friend last week, that’s ruminating. Over time you can see you have certain patterns with your thoughts, and you can start to work through changing them.
Yoga Nidra – this is a guided practice that means “Yogic sleep’. You will be guided from focusing on the outside world to your inner world. People tend to feel like they are asleep without dozing off.
Mindful Eating – spending time really focusing on what you are eating as you eat can transform your eating habits. You may notice that you don’t like things as much as you thought, or that you are eating more than you need. It can also help you savour your food and notice how much you love it!
Meditation Hacks
As I mentioned, meditation isn’t easy. It’s a simple act of self-care, but for a lot of people, especially those of us with a lot on our plate, it can feel almost impossible. Here are some hacks to make it easier:
Have your journal nearby – if you have a busy mind, writing down thoughts and ideas as you meditate can help you let them go so you come back to focusing on your meditation practice.
Don’t have to sit – as I have explained above, there are many ways to practice meditation that don’t mean sitting still and doing nothing – yoga/tai chi/qi gong, walking meditations, and mindful eating are some examples.
Choose a time of day that suits YOU – although a lot of experts would say that meditating in the morning is best, for many people that’s the busiest time of the day. Getting yourself and the family ready for work and school means that sitting still in meditation feels impossible. Perhaps a nighttime meditation suits you better? This can be part of your bedtime routine helping to improve your sleep. I’ve also had lots of clients that enjoy lunchtime meditation. It might be the only time of the day that they are truly alone so popping out to the car or to a nearby park and putting on a meditation track can be a soothing way to spend a lunch break.
Dose dependent – like taking medication, it’s best to meditate most days rather than saving it all up to do a one-hour meditation occasionally. I recommend 5 minutes a day while you are getting started. That might end up being just right for you, or you might love meditation so much that you build up your time to 10 minutes or half an hour a day (most days… we don’t have to be perfect).
Track for motivation – I use Insight Timer to track my meditations. So far, I have done 196 days in a row. I don’t want to miss one because I’d really like to get to 365 days in a row. This keeps me motivated. Another way to do this is to put a sticker or a mark on your calendar for each day you’ve practiced meditation.
Mediation for Body Love
Of course, this wouldn’t be a blog post by me if I didn’t mention Body Love. One of my favourite reasons to meditate is that it is proven to help improve body image in women. In 2014, Albertson, Neff, and Dill-Shackleford studied a group of women who did a daily self-compassion meditation for 3-weeks vs. those who didn’t meditate at all. The results showed that “compared to the control group, intervention participants experienced significantly greater reductions in body dissatisfaction, body shame, and contingent self-worth based on appearance, as well as greater gains in self-compassion and body appreciation. All improvements were maintained when assessed 3 months later. Self-compassion meditation may be a useful and cost-effective means of improving body image in adult women.”
So, here is a self-compassion meditation for you to try!
Like I always say, body love has two different sides to it. One is learning to love & accept the way you look and the person you are, and the other is treating your amazing body with love & kindness. I think we can see that meditation is a great way to achieve both.
If you need a coach to help you with either aspect of body love (like I needed a mindfulness coach back in the day), you can book a free 15-minute clarity call to find out how we can work together.
Other articles about meditation that you’ll enjoy
Do you need to be spiritual to be healthy?
9 facts about meditation to make it a daily practice