The great thing about meditation is that it provides an opportunity to spend time with yourself, time that is necessary for good self-care and well-being. Meditation is an ancient practice that has proven to change the neural pathways of the brain when regularly practised. It is used to

• Increase self-awareness
• Increasing imagination and creativity
• Increasing patience and tolerance
• Improve mood
• Reduce stress

Meditation might also be useful if you have a medical condition, especially one that may be worsened by stress. There is a growing body of scientific research that supports the health benefits of meditation, they include.

• Lowered blood pressure
• Slowed heart rate
• Reduced respiration rate
• Calmed brain wave activity
• Increased alpha waves

This combination directly affects our stress response and improves our ability to think and concentrate, our bodies respond with reduced muscle tension, increased oxygen, and provides greater awareness of our surroundings and a sense of spaciousness.

For more information on scientific research associated with mindfulness and meditation, go to http://www.wisebrain.org/science/key-scientific-papers Different types of meditation include different features to help you meditate. These vary depending on what you are looking to achieve.

• Focused attention. Focusing your attention is generally one of the most important elements of meditation.
• Focusing your attention helps free your mind from the many distractions that cause stress and worry. You can focus your attention on such things as a specific object, an image, a mantra, or a breath.
• Relaxed breathing. This technique involves deep, even-paced breathing using the diaphragm muscle to expand your lungs. The purpose is to slow your breathing, take in more oxygen, and reduce the use of shoulder, neck and upper chest muscles while breathing so that you breathe more efficiently.

At Nurture Works, I work with you to develop a mediation practice that works for you.