Meditation has tremendous benefits for women, including stress relief, anxiety reduction, and a clearer mind.
One of the biggest challenges is finding a time and a place to do meditation without distractions. This is especially difficult if you are raising kids and pulled in various directions with work and home responsibilities.
Meditation does not need to be a big “production.” You can find ways to meditate and fit it in with your busy schedule. The trick is finding a type of meditation that works best for you.
Contrary to the popular image of Buddhist monks sitting formally on cushions to clear the mind completely of all thought, meditation has many different forms.
You don’t have to be spiritual or religious to meditate (or benefit from it). Conversely, if you are religious, you can choose a type of meditation that fits with your particular belief system.
For example, Christians often meditate using their Bibles by selecting a passage and mentally marinating in it.
You can also use meditation props. Various religions, including Hinduism, Islam, and Catholicism, use prayer beads (or rosaries) as a way to focus and clear the mind.
3 Easy to Apply Tips on Meditation for Women
If you’ve never meditated before, it can seem to be a daunting task to start a meditation practice. Never fear! We have some tips on how to get started or enhance your practice if you already meditate.
1. You Don’t Need to Meditate for Long Periods of Time
Sure, you’ve listened to your yoga friend brag for years about how she’s meditated for two hours every day. Only, she doesn’t have kids and also has no need to work full-time because of her live-in partner’s success.
You, on the other hand, can’t even imagine meditating for two minutes, much less two hours.
This is why it is okay to start with a brief meditation practice. If this means your meditation is only one minute, then let it be one minute. Trust us when we say, that in meditation, one minute can sometimes feel like an eternity.
As you practice, you may end up increasing your time. Or not. Perhaps for you, the best meditation is stealing in a minute here or a minute there during an otherwise hectic day.
2. You Don’t Need to Silence the Mind to Meditate
Completely silencing the mind of all thoughts is simply one form of meditation. Contrary to popular belief, it is not the only form of meditation.
If trying to remove all thoughts from your mind during meditation drives you nuts, then don’t do it. You can experiment with other types of meditation that involve a focal point. That focal point could be visual, such as a candle, or a word or phrase, like a mantra or a prayer.
One of the easiest ways to meditate is to simply focus on the breath. You can count the breath as you breath in and out, gradually increasing the count. This method, however, is not recommended if you have breathing problems such as asthma.
3. You’ll Get the Best Results with Consistent Meditation Practice
If you meditate once in a while and then wonder why you are still overly stressed and angry, then you are not being realistic about how meditation works. Meditation will work best if it is done consistently, daily if possible. It is better to meditate briefly once per day than for a long period once per month.
Or, you could potentially mix it up. Meditate briefly on a daily basis, fitting in longer periods of meditation when you can.
The important thing is to try to incorporate some form of daily practice as your goal. If this means your daily practice is 30 seconds to start, great!
Believe it or not, too much meditation can be counter-indicated for some people. In other words, more meditation is not always better.
Meditation Provides Great Benefits for Busy Women
With consistent practice, you should see amazing results from meditation. Some of the benefits can include a more positive outlook on life, a stronger spiritual connection, and less reactivity. Carving out just a little bit of meditation time each day can reap huge dividends down the line. So, get started!