So, what’s driving Westerners to meditation?

In a word… stress! Today, we’re constantly on the go… kid’s school run, sleeping on the way in, working all day, eating on the go, sleeping on the commute home, dinner, kids, bath time, bed time stories, cleaning, television or movie, bed and ground hog day.

We expose ourselves to so many sensory and therefore mental and physical messages on a daily basis (posters, billboards, taxis, buses, trains, online, newspapers, conversations, music, fast food, food on the go etc) that we can often lose focus and find it challenging to centre ourselves. You may find that you need to slow down and take time for yourself.

Our body begins to shut down when stress builds up. It can often express itself as an illness, tension or tiredness in the mind or body. This can impact our emotions and our nerves too.

To avoid or reduce anxiety and manage stress levels in modern day society, more and more people are turning to meditation. But meditation should also be considered as a way of bringing things into balance (peace, love, energy) and a way of seeing, rather than just a relief tool.

Here are some meditation tips you could try (start with 1-3 mins a day and increase over time):

• Sit comfortably, focus on a candle flame and just breathe in a quiet space
• Sit or lay on your back, close your eyes and listen to your breath
• Sit or lay down, listen to a guided visual meditation with eyes closed
• Sit or lay down, light a scented candle or incense, close your eyes and breathe
• Lay down placing your hand to heart and the other to the belly and feel the breath, visualising it enter, create space and release from the body

Take time to look after you!