<p>Idanim recently held its first offline masterclass with one of our experts, <a target="_blank" href="https://idanim.com/meditation-teachers/zoe-kanat"/>Zoe Kanat</a>, who is also a  board member of the Meditation Association of Australia. It was an enlightening session in which Zoe discussed deepening one's meditation practice. The event began with a brief introduction of Zoe by our co-founder <a target="_blank" href="https://idanim.com/meditation-teachers/raman-mittal"/>Raman Mittal</a>, a meditator himself for over 15 years.</p><p>As someone who took her own time to come into the practice, Zoe admits that she would mostly use meditation sporadically to overcome a feeling or a situation when she started out, so she knew what initial hiccups the beginners may face. While, the idea behind mindfulness seems simple—the practice takes patience. And indeed, our renowned expert recounted that her initial experience with meditation showed her how quickly the mind gets caught up in other tasks.</p><p>One has to realize that meditation is personal experience and journey, and everyone has their own learning curve. If you’re a beginner, after reading this you’ll have a solid foundation as you progress; if you’re intermediate, you’ll learn how to deepen your practice; if you’re advanced, you’ll learn a few new tips and tricks to try out on your journey. </p><p>This blog will provide some of the essential points and key takeaways from the masterclass. In the first half, Zoe discussed how to make meditation a daily habit and overcome the initial problems one may encounter while beginning to meditate. So, here are a few tips that can make it easy for you to plunge into the practice:</p><p><strong>1. Setting an intention:</strong> It allows you to ensure that you meditate daily. Dr. Joe Dispenza once said, 'What you think and feel becomes your life’, so envision yourself meditating, where you would do it, what you would look like, or how it would feel. You can also experiment with manifestation methods by writing in your journal or diary, 'I will meditate every day.' </p><p><strong>2. Deciding on a time:</strong> To become a daily practitioner, you must first decide on a time when you will meditate every day and ensure that it is reasonable for you. Meditation can be practiced before going to bed or early in the morning, or any other time in between. It is advised to practice at the same time everyday so that you can inculcate a habit. Reading something encouraging can motivate you to meditate on a daily basis.</p><p><strong>3. Giving yourself space:</strong> It is essential to give yourself some space while slowing down and settling into meditation practice. Here are a few things you can do to give yourself some breathing room. Begin by keeping a journal, recording, or tracking your meditation activities. After you finish your meditation practice, you can simply sit silently for a few minutes. All of these will assist you in creating a safe zone for yourself.</p><p><strong>4. Maintaining proper posture:</strong> Posture is a critical part in any meditation technique. While daily meditation is vital, sitting in the proper posture is also necessary. You must sit in a comfortable position because you will be sitting for an extended period of time. Adjust your posture. Your head and spine should be aligned. Here is a quick <a target="_blank" href="https://www.idanim.com/blog/guide-to-right-meditation-postures">guide</a>  for you to attain the correct meditation posture.</p><p><strong>5. Salutations:</strong> Have you ever felt the need to acknowledge something when you embark on something meaningful? You need to do so in meditation as well. Meditation connects you with your mind and body on a deeper level. It is imperative to give salutations which can be done in the form of lightning, a candle, or taking a moment to transition from one place to another.</p><p>It’s estimated that 95% of our behavior runs on autopilot. That’s because neural networks underlie all of our habits, reducing our millions of sensory inputs per second into manageable shortcuts so we can function in this crazy world. These default brain signals are so efficient that they often cause us to relapse into old behaviors before we remember what we meant to do instead. </p><p>Mindfulness is the exact opposite of these default processes. It’s taking executive control rather than autopilot, and enables intentional actions, willpower, and decisions. But that takes practice. The more we activate the intentional brain, the stronger it gets. Every time we do something deliberate and new, we stimulate neuroplasticity, activating our gray matter, which is full of newly sprouted neurons that have not yet been groomed for an “autopilot” brain. </p><p>It's tough to determine when and how you will start deepening your meditation practice. It all boils down to how you perceive yourself, the world, and the people in your life. The masterclass concluded with a live meditation practice, followed by Zoe answering a few questions from the audience. You can view the recorded session if you missed the live class or want to revisit the learning. Watch it here: <div class="youtubeVideo"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Jw1KxrRn1dQ" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></p>

Meditation expert Zoe Kanat shares valuable insights and techniques for deepening your meditation practice. Discover how to improve personal growth and well-being

Learn How to deepen Your Meditation Practice With Zoe Kanat

Idanim recently held an offline masterclass with Zoe Kanat, who is a board member of the Meditation Association of Australia.

Learn How to Deepen Your Meditation Practice with Zoe Kanat

<h2>What is Anchor?</h2><p><strong>Have you wondered why a simple act of meditation can be so difficult?</strong> Meditation is simple but need not be easy, particularly for beginners. Our attention is mostly occupied and trapped in the constant chatter of our minds. Many believe that meditation suspends all thought and empties your mind. That is one big misconception. The mind will keep doing what it is meant to do, i.e., thinking and analyzing. We don't try to stop thoughts during meditation practice, but we build our capacity to be more present by untrapping our attention from thoughts and emotions. We often use an anchor to free our attention from the continuous white noise and become more present and alive.</p><p>As <a href="https://www.idanim.com/meditation-teachers/toby-ouvry" target="_blank">Toby Ouvry</a> explains, think of a boat as your attention, water and winds as thoughts that keep swaying the boat away, and your body/breath as the anchor. Whenever you notice your boat (attention) has wandered away in water & winds (thoughts and emotions), you come back to your anchor (body, breath).</p><h2>What is the Role of An Anchor in Meditation and Mindfulness?</h2><p>As you move forward in your practice, an anchor helps to keep your attention oscillating between your thoughts and the present moment. Through this anchor, you become more grounded in the present moment and become more aware of your senses, thoughts, and emotions. So the role of an anchor is not to hold on to the mind in one place but to give your boat a place to come back after hitting the choppy waters. The anchors of many meditative practices vary. If you want to see results from your meditation practice, it's essential to choose an anchor style that works best for you. When we shift our attention to an anchor, we untrap our minds from the constant drone of thoughts to feel and live in the present.</p><h2>6  Anchors Usually Used in Meditation</h2><h3></h3><p><strong>Breath. </strong> They say that the breath acts as a connection between your body and your soul. Breath is very neutral, formless, and always there. It is arguably the most widely used anchor since ages for a wide range of meditation practices across traditions. Just a few conscious breaths with non-judgmental and kind awareness are profoundly relaxing and make us more alive and present. If and whenever you get lost in your thoughts, it is easy and simple to return to your anchor, i.e., breath. Another method with a slight tweak is counting your breath backward. This technique is more helpful and engaging for a restless mind. Besides keeping us grounded during meditation, breath meditation is deeply relaxing and calming in nature. It also slows down our heart rate leading to a more peaceful and tranquil state of mind.</p><p>You can try out a 15-min breath meditation by <a href="https://www.idanim.com/meditation-teachers/raman-mittal" target="_blank">Raman Mittal</a> to boost your emotional well-being here:</p><div class="youtubeVideo"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vPPZIdpk9oM" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div><p><strong>Body.</strong> Your body is another common anchor that can be used during meditation. Focusing on the sensations that arise wherever your body touches the chair, floor, mat, or cushion is an example of using the body as an anchor of attention. When we are using the body as an anchor, there are 3 ways you can approach. You can choose one specific body part and focus all your attention towards it. You can focus your attention on your head or your chest or your stomach or any limb or organ. For instance, if you're seated in a chair, you might focus your attention on the feeling of your feet touching the floor. Alternatively, you can look and feel your entire body as one single object. Focusing on the full body, rather than a specific part of it, as an anchor in meditation can be very reassuring and healing. Another form of meditation that uses the body as a focal point is a body scan or Vipassana. Vipassana literally means “seeing it as it is”. You scan through your entire body with kindness and non-judgmental attention and notice different sensations come and go without engaging with them. Your body is a home to your spirit, energy, emotions, thoughts and senses. It is a natural portal to the deep universe in all of us.</p><p>Here’s a <a target="_blank" href="https://s20v7.app.link/share-link?courseId=635bcab42990d57279506a46">meditation</a> that helps you release tension and stress from different sections of your body.</p><p><strong>Chakra. </strong> Chakra meditation stems from the use of your body as an anchor. When you use your chakras as an anchor, it requires a deep understanding of your sacred energy wheels or centers. According to Hindu belief system, there are seven energy centers located throughout the body, and there are nine according to the Buddhist scriptures. As these wheels or chakras reside within our body, each energy center is unique and allows certain positive energies into the specific parts of our body and environment. When we use chakras in meditation, we align our energy centers all the way from our base to the top of our head. When you anchor your chakra, you create a spiritual bridge to the energy of the universe. As an alternative to the traditional method of anchoring, energy flows through your feet, and travels up through your crown and out and above your head. Its path travels outside of the auras, constituting the initial segment of the anchoring connection.</p><p>Here is a <a target="_blank" href="https://s20v7.app.link/share-link?courseId=62b1accddffce20ca8804737">20-min meditation</a> you can try that focuses on awakening your Chakras to feel more peaceful, powerful and at peace.</p><p><strong>Mantra.</strong> Besides being an anchor to control and limit the barrage of thoughts, Mantra meditation may serve a deeper spiritual purpose. Certain Hindu, Buddhist, and ancient Christian traditions, for example, use mantras to center the heart and mind and be grounded in mindfulness and awareness. The words often carry deep meanings that work as affirmations to become a part of our subconscious. Mantras can be a useful tool for achieving a deep state of relaxation during meditation. Mantras help you go deeper into any spiritual practice and can be a genuine guide to help you navigate your meditation as it evolves. They may even lead you to discover and develop your spiritual strengths with honesty and integrity. For example; certain Sanskrit mantras like the “Soham” carry profound meaning. The Soham mantra, which resonates “I am that”, indicates an association with that divine intelligence, the oneness of all. The intelligence that is the guiding force for the universe, the one that is the most powerful and ancient is the universal force and I Am That, Sohum. Similarly, there are several ancient sanskrit, tibetan, latin verses that can facilitate deep psychological impact and help reinforce a positive belief system. </p><p>This <a target="_blank" href="https://s20v7.app.link/share-link?courseId=63c00a51b57525401a794254">quick AUM chanting</a> can help you experience deeper peace, energy and silence. </p><p><strong>Sound.</strong> There is also a form of attention anchor that uses sounds from your surroundings. The steady flow of noise outside your window can be a fantastic anchor. To do so, focus intently on whatever sound grabs your hearing attention. Is it the steady traffic flow or the constant drone of ongoing construction? Once that sound fades to nothing, you can move on to the next one. No home is entirely immune to ambient noise. Even while meditating in a country home, one may experience the sounds of birds chirping, radiators clacking, and the wind. When we shift our attention to sounds around us, these sounds become more pronounced. The other way to use sound in your meditation is Sound healing (also called sound bathing). Sound bath meditation brings about a meditative state that can nurture inspiration through opening up to the many therapeutic tools of sound. Some sound-bath meditations use bells, gongs and chimes to reduce stress and promote relaxation. It can also improve sleep quality and increase feelings of well-being.</p><p>You can try out <a target="_blank" href="https://s20v7.app.link/share-link?courseId=63890831512c437918062af1">this meditation</a> with <a href="https://www.idanim.com/meditation-teachers/rishma-palkar" target="_blank">Rishma Palkar</a>, which may heal your anxiety with the sounds you hear. </p><p><strong>Object/Image.</strong> When meditating with an object or image as an anchor of attention, one should focus softly on the object or image of choice, and when one notices that one's mind has wandered, one should calmly bring one's focus back to the object or image. You can use anything as a focal point, but something beautiful in nature, with significant personal significance, or something that inspires you is ideal. For example, you might use a crystal or a flower. Images and artifacts of spiritual significance or that represent the truth can also be used. These can be physical items, such as a painting or statue, or mental images created by focusing softly on a conceptual depiction of the object of choice.<p><h2>Finding the Anchor that Works For You</h2><p>One of anchor meditation's greatest strengths is that there is no single best way to focus your mind. Additionally, there is no hard and fast guideline dictating when and where a given anchor should be used. One day or under specific conditions, you'll find a particular focal point more useful than others as an anchor of attention to steady your thoughts. It's also possible that one particular anchor becomes indispensable to your exercise to establish mental stability. Each meditation session may involve the use of multiple anchors of attention. It makes no difference which anchor you leverage. Whatever helps one person ground themselves in the present is the ideal anchor for them. When you meditate, you cultivate your consciousness in the same way a farmer cultivates a field. We all become distracted while meditating, but we take the help of an anchor to return our attention to the present moment. A wandering mind is a normal human experience; recognizing when it occurs is the first step toward cultivating mindfulness. </p><p>To learn more about guided meditations by Idanim, visit <a href="http://www.idanim.com" target="_blank">www.idanim.com</a>. If you have any queries regarding meditation and mindfulness practices, you can <a target="_blank" href="https://www.idanim.com/contact-idanim">ask our experts</a>. We will get back to you within 24 hours.</p>

Learn the importance of using an anchor during meditation and how it can help you remain focused and present. Download Idanim and try our live meditation sessions

Learn Why an Anchor is Important during Meditation | Idanim

Have you wondered why a simple act of meditation can be so difficult? Our attention is mostly trapped in the constant chatter of our minds.

Learn Why an Anchor is Important during Meditation

<p><em>I am not able to concentrate during meditation<br>I can’t keep my mind still and calm<br>Thoughts keep running through my mind and I can’t focus<br>I am unable to STOP thoughts</em></p><h3>Sounds familiar?</h3><p><strong>Expecting your thoughts to stop:</strong> This is inarguably the biggest mistake people make when they start their meditation practice. The bad news is: you can’t stop your thoughts. The good news is: you don’t have to stop your thoughts 🙂</p><h3>What? Is meditation not about stopping thoughts, or being in a state of thoughtlessness? </h3><p> Not really. It is true that the intensity of the thoughts comes down as you advance in practice but that happens on its own (you can’t control it). </p><h3>So, what do we do then in meditation?</h3><p>Let’s understand the basics which are quite simple and easy. For most of us, our attention is almost always trapped in the chatter of the mind. When we bring our focus on any of the anchors like breath, body, sound, or mantra, we (our attention) temporarily become free from this constant stream of thoughts about the past and future. This disidentification, getting out of thoughts is like waking up from a dream. This is the present moment. This is the moment of mindfulness. There is a different kind of aliveness in this moment of mindfulness. </p><h3>Explain to me more</h3><p>When we sit for a meditation practice, we usually take the help of an anchor like body, breath, sound, or mantra. We bring our non-judgmental attention to this anchor. Our attention will keep wandering away in thoughts and that is absolutely normal. The mind’s job is to think and analyze. It will keep doing its job. It is futile to expect the mind to stop producing thoughts. We don’t have to shoo away the thoughts. Whenever we realize that we have wandered away in thoughts, we gently acknowledge it without getting irritated and bring our attention back to the anchor. It is that simple.</p><h3>What is the use of an anchor?</h3><p>Let’s do a very quick experiment. For the next 30 seconds or so (no need to put an alarm), bring your entire attention to your breathing or the big toe of your right leg.</p><p>You may have noticed that your thoughts stopped or reduced for a brief period when you put your attention on your breath or your body, before getting lost again in the thoughts. When you are NOT lost in your thoughts, you are present, alive, conscious, and calm. Just a few conscious breaths are deeply relaxing and cut you off from the burden of this chatter. Anchor frees our attention from our thoughts and brings us back to the present moment.</p><h3>I could not stay with my breathing even for 3 breaths</h2><p>That is fine. Absolutely fine and normal. Start with just 1 breath. It does not matter whether you stay with your breathing for 1 breath or 10 breaths, stay with your body for 1 second of 10 seconds, the key is to keep coming back to the anchor when you realize that you are lost in your thoughts. That moment is very important. That is the moment of mindfulness. You will notice that these mindful moments of waking up keep on increasing as you practice</p><h3>Should we not try to extend the gaps between the thoughts with hard concentration?</h3><p>Look closely. The sheer act of trying too hard, desiring to be thoughtless is a thought in itself. You are not present at that moment. It is just one part of the mind (now a meditative mind: no pun intended!) trying to control another part of the mind. Try to stop thinking about mangoes and you will start thinking about them. When you get lost, you don’t know when you got lost. However, there is a sudden realization that you got lost in your thoughts. When that realization happens, acknowledge it and gently come back to the anchor</p><h3>Does that mean my mind will keep racing at its will?</h3><p>There are brief moments of thoughtlessness when we focus our attention on the anchor. These moments of thoughtlessness, presence and pure awareness will increase on their own as we practice. We should not try to achieve this state of thoughtlessness and we should not yearn for it. The very act of desiring this state is a thought itself, is living in the future, is another romantic dream of bliss but it is still a dream, it is still the future, and it is still a thought. Just acknowledge your thoughts with kind and non-judgmental attention and keep coming to your anchor whenever you realize that you have wandered in your thoughts. You will find that your presence and awareness have grown with the deepening of your practice.<p><p>Just to conclude, meditation is not about becoming thoughtless. The intensity and volume of your thoughts will automatically decrease on their own when you practice it correctly (so don’t worry about it). Just practice with a sense of sincerity, kindness, curiosity, and non-judgmental awareness without worrying about results. Gently and softly come back to the anchor without getting irritated when you realize you are again lost in your thoughts. It is actually that simple.</p>

Learn from our expert on how to avoid the biggest mistake people make in meditation. Join us to deepen your meditation experience and transform your life.

Single biggest Meditation Mistake to Know | Idanim

Expecting your thoughts to stop: This is inarguably the biggest mistake people make when they start their meditation practice. You can’t stop your thoughts.

The Single Biggest Mistake People Make in Meditation

<p>Meditation offers many scientifically proven benefits, although the advantages may need to be specifically spelled out when we first begin. You can meditate with complete dedication and still feel things aren't going as planned. It may take some time to figure out how your practice is unfolding.</p><p> <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/meditation/in-depth/meditation/art-20045858#:~:text=Meditation%20can%20give%20you%20a,centered%20and%20keep%20inner%20peace.">Medical researchers across the world have found meditation a proven way to reduce stress</a>. The innumerable benefits of meditation transcend beyond the physical; it extends to mental, emotional, and psychological aspects. Here are some ways meditation helps your physical and mental health.</p><h3>Mental Benefits of Meditation:</h3><p><ul><li><p>Improves self-awareness and self-esteem</p></li><li><p>Improves focus and concentration</p></li><li><p>Improves one's ability to manage stress</p></li><li><p>Helps with depression and anxiety</p></li><li><p>Overcome addictions, reduce fatigue and chronic pain</p></li><li><p>Reconnects one with inner peace and happiness</p></li></ul></p><h3>Physical Benefits of Meditation:</h3><p><ul><li><p>Improves self-awareness and self-worth</p></li><li><p>Lowers blood pressure</p></li><li><p>Reduces physical tension</p></li><li><p>Slows the aging process</p></li><li><p>Strengthens the immune system</p></li><li><p>Keeps us energized throughout the day</p></li></ul></p><p>So, if you still think meditation doesn't work or isn't for you, wait and see if something is wrong. Here are some common mistakes you might make while practicing meditation.</p><h2>6 Mistakes you may be Making in your Meditation Practice</h2><h3>1. Trying too hard to keep your mind from wandering.</h3><p>There's no need to be hard on yourself if you get sidetracked during meditation multiple times during your practice, as long as you follow a dedicated approach that suits you best. It's absolutely normal and part of the process. Many people strive hard to have a state of thoughtlessness. That effort is counter-productive and is not a part of meditation. Think of thoughts as clouds and your awareness as the sky. Thoughts would come and go. Don't try to engage or shoo away your thoughts. Instead, just be aware of these thoughts without any judgment. <strong>The key is whenever you realize you have lost in your thoughts, just recognize and come back to the object you are focusing on, whether it is your breath, body, sound, sensations, or just the space itself.</strong> The space between the thoughts will expand with your practice. Meditation is about accepting things as they are and seeing them as they are. The very effort or desire to reach a certain stage is living in the future. Let things go, and stop being so hard on yourself. Self-criticism is a surefire way to drive a wedge between you and your meditation practice. Instead, thank yourself for recognizing the distraction and simply refocus.</p><h2>2. Expecting too much too soon.</h2><p>It's wonderful if you started your meditation practice after hearing about the many benefits meditation offers. Once you have built the habit, it is best to stop thinking about the results and start practicing purely because it is good for you. Try to let go of all expectations and do it daily, just like you should wash your hair, eat, and sleep. It is ironic that when you drop your expectations about results, you get better ones.</p><p>How do you change your mindset?</p><p>Learn to appreciate the process itself. Enjoy how you feel after sitting for a while: serene, clear, and at peace.<p><p>If you do it regularly enough, you'll realize that, on average, you actually feel lighter, calmer, and less stressed.</p><p>Meditation, of course, has many scientifically proven benefits. Still, if you do it for the sheer joy of it, for the peace, calmness, and relaxation it brings, for the feeling of stillness & silence inside you, the aliveness and awareness it brings in us, you will get even better results.</p><h2>3. Being inconsistent in your practice.</h2><p>Inconsistency is another common mistake people make. Just like running for a few days or irregularly will not make you physically fit, you need to have a bit of consistency in your practice for a calmer mind. <p><p>The focus should be on maintaining a consistent length, technique, and perfect posture. Consistency should be your first focus when initiating or developing a meditation practice. The quickest and most painless way to form this routine is to meditate first thing in the morning and gradually increase the time spent doing so. Even if you can only commit to five minutes a day at first, make it a point to stick to that schedule, no matter what.</p><em><p>Have a busy day tomorrow. Wake up early and try to practice.</p><p>Are you traveling and sharing a hostel room this week? Can you do it?</p><p>Are you doing it right, or do you have the correct posture? Do it anyway – and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.idanim.com/blog/guide-to-right-meditation-postures">read about it later</a>.</p></em><p>See, obstruction exists, but if one is focused, positive, and self-disciplined enough, nothing can derail their intention to meditate today.</p><h2>4. Not giving enough time to a technique.</h2><p>If you're starting out with meditation, it's OK to try different meditation techniques. In fact, it is encouraged to do so. Give time to each technique before deciding if it works for you. Various individuals have indeed varying preferred ways of doing things. Thus, it is essential to try many approaches until you zero in on the one that yields you the best results. Try one out for a week to a month to acquire a "taste" for it, and then switch to another if it isn't working for you. Some seasoned practitioners have experimented with more than 70 different types of meditation!</p><p>Ultimately, one or more techniques could work well for you and suit you the best. This is especially true for the practice of concentration meditation. Repeatedly focusing on the same thing, like your breath or a mantra, makes it more "charged" with your attention. So your mind grows more attuned to it. As a result of this familiarity, future sessions with the same object will require less effort to keep in mind.</p><h2>6. Not doing enough preparation.</h2><p>See, you can sit and start meditating regularly without proper practice or preparation; no harm there. But you still need to improve here if you are talking about the finest results. For effective meditation, you need to put in more effort.</p><p>If you could -</p><p>Before meditation<ol><li>1. Calm your body and breath</li><li>2. Make a special effort to keep your comfortable</li><li>3. Identify a decluttered and relatively silent place for your practice</li><li>4. Put your mind to contentment</li><li>5. Affirm your intention</li></ol></p><p>During<ol><li>1. Don't be bothered by distractions</li><li>2. Try to sit or lie still</li><li>3. If you need to move, do so compassionately and consciously instead of making spontaneous movements</li></ol></p><p>After<ol><li>1. Gentle Transition</li><li>2. Keep a Journal</li></ol><p><p>Then, the results will speak aloud about how amazing it is.</p><h2>7. Practicing in a noisy environment.</h2><p>While you can meditate to the sound (and it is a great meditation technique in itself), newbies find it difficult if there is too much noise in the environment. Although meditation is not time bound or space-bound, you can meditate whenever you want. Only try to keep a calm environment.</p><h2>How to Overcome these Mistakes</h2><p>The first step is not to get overwhelmed.</p><p>If you see that you're making more than one of these "meditation mistakes," take it slow and focus on correcting only one at a time. Getting started with the modifications that are either the simplest or would have the most significant effect is best. It is impossible to become an expert in just a few months. It takes time and effort to reprogram your thinking.</p><p>You will still reap benefits from meditation even if you encounter some of these problems during your practice. You can get a lot out of meditation as it is, but if you want to maximize its advantages and explore its potential further, you should follow the proper guidance and rest assured that doing so will be a good decision.</p><p>In case you have any queries regarding meditation and mindfulness practices, you can <a target="_blank" href="https://www.idanim.com/contact-idanim">ask our experts</a>. We will get back to you within 24 hours.</p>

Learn about common mistakes while meditating and how to avoid them. Discover how to get the most out of your meditation sessions to improve overall well-being

6 Common Mistakes to Avoid While Meditating

Meditation offers many scientifically proven benefits, although the advantages may need to be specifically spelled out when we first begin.

6 Common Mistakes to Avoid while Meditating

<p><a target="_blank" href="https://news.microsoft.com/en-in/microsoft-work-trend-index-pulse-report-unveils-data-to-bridge-the-employer-employee-disconnect/">Microsoft Work Trend Index</a> Pulse Report suggests that 47% of employees and 58% of leaders reported feeling burnt out at work. In addition to having a negative financial impact on businesses, employees with poor mental health may find themselves unable to carry out their duties or meet their daily obligations. There is no way to avoid the stress of a demanding job altogether. Learn more about the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.idanim.com/blog/the-stress-cycle-how-to-feel-safe-after-stressful-situations">stress cycle and how to feel safe after these stressful situations.</a></p><p>Here are 5 techniques for managing stress, developing inner stability in the workplace, and positively impacting your capacity to accomplish your work goals seamlessly. </p><h2>Mindfully calm your thoughts</h2><p>Anxiety makes it simple to let your mind race and become preoccupied with a whirlwind of irrelevant details. Awareness of one's internal and external environments is the first step to feeling more alert and present throughout the day. Being more aware of the present will keep your thoughts from straying, allowing you to give your undivided attention to your work. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.idanim.com/blog/the-three-most-common-work-related-problems-solved-by-meditation">Meditation can be helpful in alleviating your workplace stress levels.</a> Interrupting your workday with a few minutes of guided meditation to reduce stress and anxiety can be a great way to clear your mind and refocus your energy. One of the quickest and least time-consuming ways to meditate is to focus on one's breathing. You should take five minutes out of your day, find a peaceful spot, close your eyes, and focus on your breathing whenever you feel anxious. In addition to calming your nerves, this will also help clear your head. </p><h2>Prioritize your mental health first</h2><p>You should reflect on how you feel before beginning your day. It's only natural not to be at the top of your game every single day at work. Instead of struggling with your mental health, try meditations for 10 minutes whenever it's convenient for stress management. This can be done by using a meditation app of your choice to practice guided meditations for stress relief in the comfort of your own time and environment.</p><p>Here is a quick meditation technique for stress that helps calm your nerves from overworking. This 15 minutes practice by Annemaree Rowley, meditation expert for 30+ years, will give your body a break from processing, gently guide you to the inner sanctuary, and give your mind and body rest from all the information it stores daily.</p><div class="youtubeVideo"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/g7KdfP5nvRU" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div><h2>Turn on music therapy</h2><p>When things are tough, music can be immensely therapeutic. It's a way to vent feelings and get through loss and trauma. Neurotransmitters in the brain, like dopamine and oxytocin, are connected to emotions of happiness, and studies show that music can positively influence these chemicals. Cortisol is a stress hormone, and there is some evidence that listening to music can significantly lower its levels.</p><h2>Stop and breathe ever so often</h2><p>Remove ten to fifteen minutes from your day to go for a walk outside, soak up some rays, and stretch your muscles. This will make you feel energized and invigorate your senses. Allowing yourself little breaks like this throughout the day can prevent you from dwelling on problems and instead focus on finding solutions to help you avoid burnout.</p><h2>Seek the right environment with an eclectic mix of humor</h2><p>A person's character is considered to be a combination of the traits of the five persons they spend the most time with. Your sense of mental health is profoundly affected by the conditions in which you perform your job. It's easier to maintain composure and awareness when good vibes surround you. An old proverb goes something like "laughter is the best medicine." And it is a serious recommendation. Laughter raises your body's oxygen intake, stimulates your organs, and causes your brain to create more feel-good endorphins. It's a nice change of pace that will help you relax and focus on the task at hand.</p><p>By cultivating awareness, you open up new avenues for your imagination. Being open and adaptable in the here and now helps you become more creative and more able to improvise and innovate. The benefits of increased imagination extend to many aspects of life, including the workplace, the home, and the sense of overall being.</p><p><em><a href="https://www.idanim.com" target="_blank">Idanim</a> is a meditation and mindfulness app that focuses on your mental well-being and uses meditation and mindfulness for any mind, mood, and goal. With over 500 meditations in over 40 categories, learn from the best experts and practice mindfulness for work-life balance, anxiety, sleep, stress management, and more.</em></p>

Learn how to prevent and manage stress in the workplace. Discover 5 practical strategies for reducing stress, including mindfulness techniques. Download Idanim

5 Smart Tactics to Avoid Stress at Workplace | Idanim

<a target="_blank" href="https://news.microsoft.com/en-in/microsoft-work-trend-index-pulse-report-unveils-data-to-bridge-the-employer-employee-disconnect/">Microsoft Work Trend Index</a> Pulse Report suggests that 47% of employees and 58% of leaders reported feeling burnt out at work.

5 Smart Tactics to Avoid Stress at Workplace

<p>We are all aware that mindfulness and meditation has its advantages. Still, few of us realize that practicing mindfulness is also one of the quickest and easiest ways to boost our emotional and physical well-being significantly. Mindful meditation has many positive effects beyond mental tranquility. It has the potential to transform our existence. Meditation practice is beneficial for more than simply mental health. It has the potential to transform our life and profoundly alter our being.</p><p>Many people want to make changes in their life, both small and big. This may appear to be an insurmountable task at times. Meditation and positivity, on the other hand, make it entirely possible.</p><p>Envision yourself making better choices and experiencing greater inner calm and contentment with mental positivity. How would your life, health, and relationships change if this became a reality for you? The Pali word "sati," originally translated as "memory," is more accurately translated as "lucid awareness," which is where the term "mindfulness" first originated. It's a physical state that facilitates the passing of ordinary events and moments being fully acknowledged and appreciated.</p><h2>Ways in which Mindfulness can Positively Impact Our Lives</h2><p>The difficulty of modern existence affects us all. <a target="_blank"href="https://www.idanim.com/blog/the-three-most-common-work-related-problems-solved-by-meditation">With deadlines and time as a scarce resource</a>, it's tempting to believe we can do everything until our bodies send signals to 'slow down.' This is when practicing mindfulness can truly help. If your body is urging you to slow down, you should listen to it.</p><h2>Training your mind</h2><p>The demands of modern-day life drive a wedge between people's physical and mental selves. It's conditioned us to disregard the signals our bodies send us, and instead live in a perpetual state of fantasizing about the past or the future. 'Now' is treated as a necessary aspect on the way to someplace better. Attention is the key to reuniting body and mind, and that's what mindfulness practice is all about. It's time to take control of the situation and switch off the autopilot. It's all about silencing the incessant chatter that flows through our minds constantly and moving towards mental positivity.</p><h2>Keeping the endless white noise at bay</h2><p>The first step in most mindfulness practices is to focus on your breathing while making no conscious efforts to alter it. It is the first step in developing sensory awareness to become aware of your breath as it enters, travels through, and leaves your body. As you start out, you might not pick up on much sensory information. In contrast, you might sense feelings you've been suppressing. The first stage is to become aware of your own awareness. You could also realize how simple it is to let your mind wander off into the abyss of white noise. The key is to observe without passing judgment. You need only take note of your ideas and let them pass. Meditation techniques involve formally devoting time to introspection. By providing a buffer from our typically negative and self-defeating thought patterns, meditation allows us to take back control of our minds. Here, you can let go of your anxious thoughts, doubts, anxiety, and rage. Mindful meditation aids in dismantling the false notion of "self," or the ego and feeling of identity to which we cling without realizing that we can access a more positive and enlightened state of mind. </p><h2>Overcoming uncomfortable emotions</h2><p>The mindful transformation toward an existence of more wisdom and, ultimately, greater happiness begins with an awareness of the nature of one's thinking process at work. Being aware of negative emotions like greed, anger, or jealousy helps us realize how much better off we'd be if we let go of them. By paying attention to our thoughts and feelings, we can learn to cultivate more qualities that make us happy, like generosity, kindness, and compassion. The purpose of meditation is to facilitate personal growth and change. By paying attention to your thoughts and feelings, you can make a deliberate decision to think and act with greater competence and positive wisdom rather than being "lost" in your thoughts and carrying out habitual responses. Mindful meditation teaches people how to interrupt cognitive patterns that trigger negative emotions. You will discover new ways of coping with emotional suffering rather than numbing your feelings with food, alcohol, drugs, sex, or other methods.</p><h2>Unveil True Happiness with Mindfulness</h2><p>Meditation and the cultivation of awareness have a history stretching back thousands of years. Originally developed within the ancient Hindu and Buddhist teachings, these meditation practices are finding a comfortable abode inside the modern cultural context thanks to successful adaptation efforts. The research will continue measuring results. While brain scans offer physical proof, personal transformations are the only evidence that really counts.</p><p>Mindfulness training has been linked to numerous health benefits, including reduced stress and anxiety, enhanced mood and vitality, enhanced ability to handle physical discomfort, and positive development of mental health. Being mindful and practicing meditation provide opportunities to become more aware of oneself, others, and the natural environment.</p><p>It is a worldwide personal transformation brought about by the demystification of a sophisticated language that is now widely available. This grass-roots change extends beyond personal benefit when you manage your emotions and responses. You will influence others to live and love with intention and purpose. It's a worldwide shift on the micro level made possible by the accessibility of previously unexplored territory. Begin your journey in Mindfulness with <a href="https://www.idanim.com" target="_blank">Idanim</a>. Let our mindfulness experts guide you through wiser choices of a mental positivity and a more contented being. Download Idanim from <a href="https://apps.apple.com/in/app/idanim/id1631848467" target="_blank">Appstore</a> and <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ttn.idanim&hl=en&gl=IN" target="_blank">Playstore</a></p>

Learn how meditation & mindfulness bring positivity to your life and help you see things in a better way. Practice mindful meditation with Idanim, download app

How to Evoke Positive Change in Your Life with Meditation

We are all aware that mindfulness and meditation has its advantages. Practicing mindfulness is also one of the easiest ways to boost our emotional and physical well-being.

How to Evoke Positive Change in your Life with Meditation

<p>It's the start of a new year, the ideal time for reflection and resolution. On the other hand, we all acknowledge how difficult it is to maintain those resolutions throughout the year. The new year's excitement often causes us to forget our best intentions. The practice of mindfulness entails paying attention to purpose in the present moment. It can be helpful in setting, achieving, and maintaining new resolutions this year.</p><p>New Year's resolutions aren't just random goals. They have a considerably more significant psychological impact. The end of one year and the beginning of another represent new beginnings, a new chapter, and another chance to accomplish the things we've always desired (or perhaps break a few bad behaviors we've developed.) So, here are a few reasons why mindfulness should be your first resolution.</p><h2>Every goal focuses on our happier being.</h2><p>Have you ever looked at your list and realized it's basically the same every year? We all yearn for better health, more happiness, and improved wellness. For example, we tend to think that if we could lose a few pounds, go out more, and exercise more, we'd be happy. This is seldom the case. Science has shown the advantages of mindfulness extend not just to enhanced well-being, mental and physical health, better sleep, and lower stress but also to an increase in happiness.</p><h2>Stress and unpredictability have become a part of life.</h2><p>Once we have made proclamations of our newly formed resolutions, we often find ourselves looking for reasons to break them. We miss the gym after a couple of hard work days, and after a busy week, our healthy eating plan begins to waver. Stress causes automatic behavior, which are routine behaviors we have developed over time that have become familiar and safe. Mindfulness encourages us to become more aware of our psychological state and the emotions that drive our conduct. It gives us the space and time to process tough emotions and make thoughtful decisions toward more constructive behavior.</p><h2>Running after perfection is a slippery slope.</h2><p>Our brains like full, comprehensive outcomes. An hour sounds nicer than 57 minutes. A week feels more complete than four days. We always tend to aim for excellence. However, this pattern of thinking automatically sets us up for failure. Life happens. And for reasons beyond our control, we may not be able to fulfill our commitment despite our best efforts. This does not mean that we failed to achieve our goals; on the contrary —it makes us normal. We must learn to tell ourselves that it's okay to miss an odd gym session or eat an occasional cookie. Mindfulness teaches us to accept and let go. Accept and commit to progress.</p><h2>Patience is the key to long-lasting contentment.</h2><p>"I want it. I want it now" is the mantra young professionals function with today. With increased pressure, technology, competition, and activity in the world, it's easy to get caught up in the daily hustle from one thing to the next without pausing to ponder. Mindfulness teaches us to slow down our physical and mental beings so that we can fully appreciate and savor each moment and genuinely experience the things we do at a speed we can enjoy.</p><h2>Positivity and Success go hand in hand.</h2><p>Most of our objectives and resolutions are motivated by a desire to reduce or eliminate certain behaviors. We also prefer to set resolutions towards the conclusion of a couple of weeks of holiday binging and mayhem. This modifies our thinking and viewpoint, making us seek more order and control. As a result, we prefer to phrase things negatively and overemphasize negative behaviors. But what happens when you consciously try to refrain from doing something? You can't help but dwell on doing it. Mindfulness can help you see the bright side of things and concentrate on the benefits you'll get once you've reached your objectives. What are your plans? Which attitudes and actions do you hope to cultivate? Just what are you hoping to gain by purchasing some items? The practice of mindfulness strengthens our sense of identity and our connection to the world at large. Find joy in the little things, and make resolutions based on what you can gain rather than what you want to give up.</p><h2>Mindfulness is a great stepping stone to aid the accomplishment of other goals.</h2><p>Our ambitions are not unattainable; we simply aren't starting from the correct place to succeed. Awareness is the key to success in every endeavor. Only through awareness will we be able to properly manage our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in order to intentionally move toward our goals. Better sleep, less stress, stronger relationships, clearer communication, and so much more are all attainable from the convenience of home. In addition, we can easily include meditation into our regular tasks like cooking, cleaning, walking, and gardening at no cost to ourselves. Being present in what you are doing can quickly become a way of being.</p><p>Mindfulness is an essential part of creating habits that stay. Think about your progress and where you can improve. Don't rush the self-evaluation process; take a minute to pause and reflect. Could it be that you have rearranged your timetable? Have you shifted your focus? Should you reconsider your overarching goal? Making time for reflection and mindfulness, and to adapt is critical as you seek to establish long-term, healthier routines. Think carefully about the current situation and how you could improve it, and take steps to make that happen.</p><p>Setting and keeping New Year's resolutions can be challenging, but practicing mindfulness can help you focus on a healthy year by allowing you to select a more restorative moment each day.</p><p>If you are wondering where to start with mindfulness meditations to help with New Year's resolutions, we have just what you need. Idanim is an app created for business professionals to help them be more productive, joyful, and cheerful in their personal and work lives. Learn powerful meditative practices that can help you through grief, focus, stress, sleep, anger, guilt, and more from a highly curated and select team of world-renowned teachers with a combined meditation experience of 200+ years. For more information, please visit <a href="https://www.idanim.com" target="_blank">www.idanim.com</a>.</p><p></p><p>Start your free trial to know more. Download Idanim now (<a href="https://apps.apple.com/in/app/idanim/id1631848467" target="_blank">Appstore</a> | <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ttn.idanim&hl=en&gl=IN" target="_blank">Playstore</a>)</p>

Discover 5 reasons why mindfulness should be part of new year's resolutions. Learn how it can help you to reduce stress and improve overall well-being.

Why Mindfulness Should Be Part of New Year's Resolution

The practice of mindfulness entails paying attention to purpose in the present moment. It can be helpful in setting, achieving, and maintaining new resolutions this year.

Why Mindfulness should be Part of New Year's Resolution?

<p>Recently, Idanim conducted a 1-hour masterclass with one of our experts <a href="https://www.idanim.com/meditation-teachers/toby-ouvry" target="_blank">Toby Ouvry</a>, on the fundamentals of mindfulness practices. This session was dedicated to help people discover how to harness their senses, mind, and consciousness to live in the present moment for heightened awareness and controlled thoughts. Watch the video below to listen to the complete masterclass conducted by our expert Toby Ouvry.</p><div class="youtubeVideo"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kGp0AZUqsLo" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div><p>While in this blog, we will be sharing some of the key takeaways from the masterclass. Toby explained that meditation means to focus our attention on an object that, when we contemplate it, causes our mind to become positive, calm, and happy. He spoke about the 3 areas within our field of awareness i.e the senses, the feelings and the thoughts and explained about them. He further added that while senses are more on the outside, the awareness in mind is more subtle. For example, a sense like a landscape can be seen by everyone but what one’s mind perceives is limited to them only. Let’s talk about these primary focuses and fields of awareness in detail:</p><ul><li><p><strong>Meditating on senses: </strong>It is like experiencing your body like a mountain, your thoughts and associated feelings as clouds, and your mind or consciousness as  the sky. By relating to the solidity of your body as being like a mountain, you can re-contextualize how you experience your thoughts and feelings. Being less easily swayed and manipulated by them, you bring solidity to your experience of the present moment.</p></li><li><p><strong>Meditating on mind: </strong>When you meditate with your mind, you ground your body like a mountain and watch your thoughts as if there are clouds in the sky. Use these thoughts, the clouds, and the awareness to make yourself present. ou need to focus on the lighter, brighter clouds or thoughts rather than gloomy ones.</p></li><li><p><strong>Meditating on consciousness: </strong>When you meditate with consciousness, you watch your thoughts and notice the spaces between thoughts, drop into these spaces and extend them significantly, and insert a short pause or still-point at the bottom of each breath to help get comfortable in that sky-like space of your conscious awareness. </p></li></ul><p>The class ended with a live meditation practice on all of these fields of awareness, followed by Toby taking up a few questions from the audience. You can learn about the audience's questions and answers in this <a href="https://www.idanim.com/blog/faqs-from-the-masterclass-on-understanding-the-basics-of-meditation" target="_blank">blog</a> by Idanim.</p>

Discover the benefits of meditation, how to get started, and practical tips for incorporating meditation into your daily routine. Download Idanim to know more.

Understanding the Basics of Meditation by Toby Ouvry | Idanim

Recently, Idanim conducted a 1-hour masterclass with one of our experts Toby Ouvry, on the fundamentals of mindfulness practices.

Understanding the Basics of Meditation by Toby Ouvry

<p>Understanding why and how meditation works becomes very important, as sometimes it can sometimes seem very mystical. It doesn’t matter if you are starting to learn meditation or are already an advanced practitioner, many times one has doubts regarding the practice in their meditation journey. Idanim recently conducted a 1-hour masterclass with one of our experts <a href="https://www.idanim.com/meditation-teachers/toby-ouvry" target="_blank">Toby Ouvry</a>, on the fundamentals of mindfulness practices. It helped people discover how to harness their senses, mind, and consciousness to live in the present moment for heightened awareness and controlled thoughts.</p><p>Below are a few questions that our attendees had asked during the class and their responses by Toby Ouvry, mindfulness coach at INSEAD Business School, Singapore.</p><h2>How to stay mindful and calm in times of distress, injury, or loss?</h2><p>There is a US navy saying,  “In times of stress, we sing to the level of our training.” This means the time taken to train for extremes in life, such as distress/injury/loss, will enable you to remain calm when difficult times come. So if you have prepared yourself or regulated yourself, at a higher degree or at least at an intermediate degree of this competence, then you will find your mindfulness practice helpful when these difficult times come. It might be overwhelming if you try to do mindfulness in times of distress without having done any training beforehand.</p><h2>How to manage anxiety with meditation?</h2><p>There are two ways. Firstly, take care of the part where you are feeling anxious. Extend care, understanding, and compassion to the part of you so that it does not feel alone or isolated. Secondly, stay proactive towards constructive and positive thinking so that you are not allowing yourself to create anxiety around the entire situation. Think about the things that are good in this situation, keep coming up with solutions, and something that empowers you to exert some benevolent control when you are anxious.</p><h2>How to get focused and concentrate on things?</h2><p>Good quality mindful concentration has two aspects: The capacity to be focused single-pointedly on the object. The second is to be relaxed. It is a 50-50 combination of being focused and relaxed. You have to train to get a sense of that. Many people in meditation practice try too hard to focus and not quite enough to relax. So it is like riding a bike. If you lean too far to the left, you fall left. If you lean too far to the right, you fall right. Too much focus does not allow the mind to relax. Vice versa, you tend to lose the object by getting distracted or gaining sleep. So the art of good concentration is the art of combining focus and relaxation in a single flow. If relaxation is at 0 and absolute focus and attention is at 10, you should prefer a four or a six. That should give you a good quality focus and concentration that you can sustain.</p><h2>In the long run, does meditation help improve intuitions and analysis?</h2><p>If you are doing meditation in a balanced manner - yes, it should. One aspect of meditation is bringing us into contact with reality as it is. You can step back, notice, and observe your internal and external experiences with a reasonable degree of objectivity and rationality. This essential quality we develop in meditation comes along with the rational and analytical capacity. The relaxation that comes with observation also helps our intuitive self get active. Our intuitive self is the part that can make multiple evaluations, whereas the logical and rational mind cannot make possible evaluations or judgments. Intuition is explicit knowledge coming from the unconscious or intuitive sense to create multiple analyses that transcend the intuition mind. Stepping back and processing comes with basic meditation to access our intuition. It also helps us to listen to the signals that our intuition gives us, see more clearly, to trust them, and our intuitive self to grow in strength, so that you can make several evaluations in a single moment. Everybody has it to a degree, but we can develop it through this meditation practice.</p><h2>How to make meditation a daily practice?</h2><p>You need to structure it, and you need to establish a specific time daily and practice meditation at the same time. One more thing which is essential is that you need to decide the reason you are meditating. Since different meditations have different results, you need to figure out what you are expecting out of a certain meditation. For example, certain meditations on gratitude, forgiveness, and compassion help you bring energy and positivity. There might be other meditations that will help you with focusing, like single-pointedness. So it would be best to consider what practices will best suit your meditation objectives and practice them consistently.</p><h2>How to avoid distractions in mind?</h2><p>Your primary meditation state is to be present in the moment, not be lost in thoughts, and not fall asleep. Meditation does not mean there are no thoughts or distractions. There always will be, but choose to stay in the present moment. The particular skill that would help here is to select your specific anchor and use that to build stability in the present moment and not get distracted by the noises around you. This will help you build stability and attention during meditation.</p><h2>Please suggest diet for best meditation experience</h2><p>Different diets will give you a different meditation experience. A typical example of this is there are some Indian forms of meditation that give the best results with vegetarian diets. Certain meditation practices are done best with a bit of consumption of meat. Find a balanced diet that works for you and helps to maintain a physiological equilibrium. There aren’t any rules since not everyone can have the same metabolism. The obvious things to avoid would be too much caffeine, sugar, simple carbs, or artificial food.</p><h2>How to let go of attachment to material things?</h2><p>First, you need to reflect upon the material things you are attached to and limit yourself and the pleasures those are providing you. Try finding a deeper level of things that give meaning to your life instead of just attaching to material things that give you superficial pleasure and replacing them with actual things that give you real joy and meaning. It becomes easier to let go of material things when you have a meaningful life to look forward to. So it is essential to realize the proper place of material things and understand their limitations.</p><p>During the class, our expert Toby Ouvry answered a few queries. If you want to hear them, watch the video below:</p><div class="youtubeVideo"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/J-iYQ0DG86U" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div><p>Hope these answers will be helpful to you in incorporating mindfulness into your lives. Stay tuned for the recorded video and the key takeaways from this masterclass. Download Idanim on <a target="_blank" href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ttn.idanim&hl=en&gl=IN">Play Store</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://apps.apple.com/in/app/idanim/id1631848467">App Store</a> to practice mindfulness and meditation.</p>

Learn from a masterclass on understanding the basics of meditation and discover practical tips and insights to start or improve your meditation practice

Frequently Asked Questions about Meditation | Idanim

Understanding why and how meditation works becomes very important, as sometimes it can sometimes seem very mystical.

Frequently Asked Questions about Meditation

<p>Recently, Idanim held a webinar on ‘Mindful Productivity: Moving from coping to thriving’. The session was conducted by one of our teachers, <a href="https://www.idanim.com/meditation-teachers/toby-ouvry" target="_blank">Toby Ouvry</a>, who is a mindfulness coach at INSEAD Business School, Singapore. It was a very insightful session where Toby talked about the benefits of mindfulness for organizations and their employees and how it helps you move from coping to thriving in the workplace.</p><p>We will be covering some of the key takeaways from the webinar in this blog.</p><h2>What is mindfulness?</h2><p>Mindfulness is the practice of purposely bringing one's attention to the present moment, experience without evaluation, being aware of where we are and what we're doing, and not being overly reactive to what's happening around us.</p><h2>Why is mindfulness important for an organization?</h2><p>There is always a business cost associated with loss in productivity of the employees. According to a report by teamstage, companies lose out on substantial profit and 720 hours a year per person working. Mindfulness helps employees increase their focus, competence and effectiveness in life. Not just this, it also makes them feel a sense of enjoyment, pleasure, and happiness. This creates a win-win situation for employers and employees.</p><h2>What are the main causes that lead to loss of productivity?</h2><p>In the webinar, we discussed the two main reasons for loss in productivity i.e. Distraction or Multitasking and Stress or Burnout.</p><p><strong>Multitasking</strong> can be fascinating for many people, and it gives the idea that if you do two things simultaneously, you will be able to do them faster. However, the truth is when you do multiple things simultaneously, you get distracted, and there are high chances you will screw either of the things. Doing one thing at a time will help you focus on that particular task leading to better quality output. Here, mindfulness comes into the picture as it helps reduce distraction and increase focus. </p><p>Job stress is estimated to cost American companies more than $300 billion a year in health costs and around 40% of job turnover is caused due to stress.Talking about stress, mindfulness is not designed to get rid of it; it's designed to turn negative stress into positive stress. When you are fully aware of your surroundings and try to focus on things that are important to you, the task is done more effectively and efficiently, leaving you with a sense of fulfillment and hence reduced stress. </p><h2>Mindful Productivity – Moving from coping to thriving</h2><p>Mindfulness involves specific forms of attention & awareness practices that are designed to release our natural intelligence & our potential for experiential learning in the moment. There have also been studies that prove that mindfulness increases your gray matter density and thus your intelligence. Through mindfulness practices, employees can:</p><ul><li><p>Pay attention in a high-quality manner to their work and be more successful at it without necessarily working harder (i.e. working smarter)</p></li><li><p>Create high functioning interactions that lead to great teams and stable relationships.</p></li><li><p>Learn to pick up on inner cues and signals from their body-mind, and regulate their energy in a way where they feel they are thriving not just in the short term, but in the medium and long term.</p></li></ul><p>Mindfulness helps you improve focus, reduce distraction, and enhance self-regulation and problem-solving.</p><p>The webinar ended with a live meditation practice with Toby and a few Q&A from the audience. You can learn about the audience's doubts and their answers in this <a href="https://www.idanim.com/blog/faqs-from-webinar-on-mindful-productivity" target="_blank">blog</a> by Idanim.</p><div class="btnContainer""><a class="commonBtn" href="https://www.idanim.com/webinar/webinar-mindful-productivity-moving-from-coping-to-thriving" target="_blank">Click here to view the on-demand webinar</a></div>

Discover the key takeaways on mindful productivity, including practical tips & strategies for achieving more while reducing stress and burnout. Download Idanim

Know All About Mindful Productivity by Toby Ouvry | Idanim

Recently, Idanim held a webinar on ‘Mindful Productivity: Moving from coping to thriving’. The session was conducted by Toby Ouvry, who is a mindfulness coach.

Know all about Mindful Productivity by Toby Ouvry

<p>Incorporating mindfulness into your lives is a journey. It is not something that you can achieve in one day. Recently, Idanim held a <a href="https://www.idanim.com/webinar/webinar-mindful-productivity-moving-from-coping-to-thriving" target="_blank">webinar</a> on ‘Mindful Productivity: Moving from coping to thriving’. The session was conducted by one of our teachers, <a href="https://www.idanim.com/meditation-teachers/toby-ouvry" target="_blank">Toby Ouvry</a>, who is a mindfulness coach at INSEAD Business School, Singapore. It was a very insightful session and the key takeaways of the sessions were:</p><ul><li><p>What is mindfulness and why is it important in today's workplace?</p></li><li><p>Benefits of meditation for organizations and employees</p></li><li><p>How to implement mindfulness at the workplace?</p></li></ul><p>Below are a few questions that our attendees had asked during and post the webinar and their responses by Toby.</p><h2>What advice you would give to someone who has brain fog issues post covid, and how can mindfulness help in this situation?</h2><p>One active way would be to find a realistic pace at which you can work without causing brain fatigue to degrade further. Go slow in order to get faster. You need to rest to recover properly. You can start by just sitting and gently being mindful of your brain for 5-10 mins and extend a little love and care towards it, allowing it to rest. This will help you send good energy to the brain. For example, breathing in, breathing out, and maybe visualizing the brain as bright, healing, and high functioning. This exercise might help the process of healing.</p><h2>What is the ratio of meditation we should do between single pointedness and field awareness?</h2><p>You can find a ratio that suits you. There is no right or wrong answer here.For example, you can do 20 mins of single-pointedness followed by 5 mins of field awareness. If you like, you could spend a little more time breathing in, in the beginning and then get to the field awareness. This can help you stay focused during field awareness.</p><h2>What does it mean when I am sleepy during field awareness but I am not during single pointedness? </h2><p>When you are doing field awareness, you are allowing yourself to relax more because you are not focusing on a single thing. When you are practicing single-pointedness, you are leveling up the focus by a little bit. This might be one of the reasons why you don't feel sleepy there.</p><h2>I encounter a few people saying that they perform better and perform more effectively if they are under pressure. Are there research findings that support this?</h2><p>Some people cannot work without a deadline. However, we can develop the capacity to motivate ourselves to do work today even if there is no deadline. This will help you stay less stressed and procrastinate a little less.</p><h2>How is mindfulness useful for depression and suicidal thoughts?</h2><p>Mindfulness is helpful because you can sit down and focus on breathing or some other object. This will help you temporarily take your attention away from the suicidal thoughts. Second, you can use mindfulness to focus on memories or ideas that help you lift.The third way mindfulness can help is you can reach out to the part of you that is depressed and extend compassion to yourself and accept things in a better way. Although this is an intense conversation, these are the three immediate things you can do to heal yourself from your thoughts of grief and depression.</p><p>During the webinar, our expert Toby Ouvry answered a few queries. If you want to hear them, watch the video below:</p><div class="youtubeVideo"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fhdpMmp_y1U" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div><p>Hope these answers were helpful to you in incorporating mindfulness to your lives. <a href="https://www.idanim.com/webinar/webinar-mindful-productivity-moving-from-coping-to-thriving" target="_blank">Click here</a> to watch the entire webinar on-demand! Download Idanim on <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ttn.idanim&hl=en&gl=IN" target="_blank">Play Store</a> and <a href="https://apps.apple.com/in/app/idanim/id1631848467" target="_blank">App Store</a> to practice mindfulness and meditation.</p>

Check out the frequently asked questions about mindful productivity. Find out how to cultivate a mindful approach to work by practicing meditation

Frequently Asked Questions about Mindful Productivity - Idanim

Incorporating mindfulness into your lives is a journey. It is not something that you can achieve in one day. Recently, Idanim held a webinar on ‘Mindful Productivity’.

Frequently Asked Questions about Mindful Productivity

<p>Do you feel heaviness in your head? Or do you feel worked up even though you did nothing all day? All these symptoms can point towards you having stress. According to a 2020 research by the Mental Health Foundation, the number of people who said they were 'coping well with the stress of the pandemic' fell from 73% in April to 62% in November of last year. While the trigger points may be external, stress happens when you respond to that situation, creating a significant difference.</p><h2>What is the stress cycle?</h2><p>A stress cycle is a series of phases that we go through. Starting with the trigger from the external environment to feeling safe while facing it. Completing the stress cycle is very imperative for our health. According to Psych Central, there are five main stages of the stress cycle. These stages of the stress cycle are discussed below:</p><ol > <li> <p><strong>1. The External Stressor:</strong> This is the triggering event that happens to you. It might be a snarky comment from a friend, a colleague, or a family member, or you saw something that might have triggered anxiety, like an accident. This is the only phase of the stress cycle where your mind or body does not have a direct role.</p> </li></ol><ol > <li> <p><strong>2. Internal Appraisal:</strong> This phase usually comes before, during, or after the actual triggering event. It is said that the human body is designed to sense danger, commonly known as your intuition or the 6th sense. When your senses detect something that they perceive to be a threat, they send a signal to your amygdala, an almond-sized part of your brain responsible for processing extreme emotions such as fear and pleasure. When the amygdala in your brain is triggered, it sends signals to the hypothalamus and pituitary glands, the two organs responsible for balance in the body. These organs then send signals to your nervous system that lead to changes in your heart rate, blood pressure, metabolism, respiration, and sleep.</p> </li></ol><ol > <li> <p><strong>3. Physiological response:</strong> This is the phase where your body is aware of the danger in the environment, and you feel the situation is not under your control. Now the physiological response depends upon the problem you are in, and it&apos;s really about what happens after this point and how much stress you are under at any given moment.</p> </li></ol><ol > <li> <p><strong>4. Internalization:</strong> This is where you start noticing changes in your body, like your heart beating faster, your stomach might get upset, backaches, and your head starts feeling very heavy. At this point, you might ask yourself to calm down while having unpleasant thoughts in your mind. You might also have the desire to feel emotional.</p> </li></ol><ol > <li> <p><strong>5. Coping:</strong> Once you notice that you are in any kind of discomfort, physical or emotional and try to choose something to distract you or soothe you down. You start finding methods that can help. The decision that you take at this moment will decide how your future situation is going to be.</p> </li></ol><h2>Methods to De-Stress?</h2><p>The external stress you get is never going to stop. Tell me the last day, you thought that you won’t stress yourself and the very moment something hasn't come up to make you even more anxious. So, this is a never-ending vicious circle, today it is the office, tomorrow it will be something in your personal life. You will have to learn to cope with it or in simpler terms, live with it by balancing and taking up only that much, which is not harmful to you and completes your stress cycle.</p><p>So here are some of the ways to de-stress or complete the stress cycle.</p><ol > <li> <p><strong>1. Mindfulness:</strong> There are many studies that prove that mindfulness and meditation can ease anxiety and stress. It is all about paying attention to the little things we typically do in our daily lives and not rushing through them. Basically, doing what you do with full awareness. This helps you turn down the volume in your mind making it relaxed. One more added advantage to putting your mind and body into meditation is that your attention and concentration increases, making your work more effective and giving you a sense of satisfaction, in turn making you less stressed. Few of the meditation techniques that can help you in dealing with stress are:</p> </li></ol><ul> <li> <p>Chanting mantra</p> </li> <li> <p>Sound Bath meditation</p> </li> <li> <p>Loving-kindness meditation</p> </li> <li> <p>Visualization</p> </li></ul><ol > <li> <p><strong>2. Deep Breathe:</strong> Deep breathing is one of the most effective methods to keep calm. Whenever you feel anxious or stressed, deep breathing can work miraculously. When you take a deep breath, it enables more airflow in your body, which calms down your nerves, reducing stress and anxiety. So, next time you are in a stressful situation, start taking deep and conscious breathing.</p> </li></ol><ol > <li> <p><strong>3. Laugh:</strong> A burst of laughter always fires up and then cools down your stress response, making your heart beat faster and your blood pressure lower; it is definitely a relief from stress. Other than that, this laughter also stimulates organs, boosts immunity, soothes tensions, and we all know that laughter is contagious. No matter if you start with voluntary laughter, it will always end with the real one.</p> </li></ol><ol > <li> <p><strong>4. Spending time with your loved ones:</strong> When you feel stressed, anxious, unsuitable or depressed, talking to people you love or trust and telling them what you feel makes you feel better. There are mainly two reasons why you can feel good after spending time with your loved ones. Firstly, all that build-up in your mind is now out, so you can finally feel relieved, and secondly, when you share your thoughts and might be facing some tensions, a piece of advice from someone or just the presence of the people you trust could be beneficial to solve the issues you had been facing.</p> </li></ol><ol > <li> <p><strong>5. Do something creative:</strong> It distracts your mind from all the worries and stress and takes you to a happy place. You can always try different creative techniques to make you feel more peaceful and calm like drawing, singing, dancing, painting or listening to some good music. You can even engage in some physical activities like cycling, swimming, and exercising. These also help you in distracting your mind from thoughts that might stress you out.</p> </li></ol><ol > <li> <p><strong>6. Cry:</strong> Now, this is absolutely contradictory to the above statement. But these are two separate actions that can help depending on the situation you are facing. It has a very simple explanation. Whenever there is emotional crying, stress hormones are released along with tears, lowering your body's stress levels and making you feel better.</p> </li></ol><p>While these stress reduction methods are subjective, one might work for some and another for some. The important thing is you get through the stress cycle and complete it because it is vital for your mental and physical well-being.&nbsp;</p>

Stress Meditation: Learn meditation techniques to manage stress and promote emotional wellbeing. Read now and take the first step towards a calmer, happier life

What is Stress Cycle: How Meditation Helps to Handle Stress

The stress loop is never-ending but it is important to break the circle and come out of it feeling safe. This blog will help you deal with stress and feel better.

<p>People meditate for many reasons, but it is mainly done to gain a sense of calm. Now, imagine that you are &nbsp;determined to start meditating, you sit down &nbsp;but all you have on your &nbsp;mind is that your legs or your back are in pain. This indicates &nbsp;that there is a problem with the way you &nbsp;meditate. A correct meditation posture is nothing more than a comfortable position that relaxes your mind and helps you to let go of your worries. Having said that, there are specific guidelines you can follow to achieve your correct posture.</p><h3>Before finding your posture</h3><p>First things first, before finding your meditation posture, you need to find the clothing you are most comfortable in. You need to wear something in which your body does not feel restrained. The clothes should allow you to move and stretch your body freely. Avoid tight clothing like jeans, whereas yoga pants, gym shorts and a cotton t-shirt could be your go-to options.</p><h3>Different Meditation Postures</h3><p>We &nbsp;start with the simplest meditation postures and then escalate towards a few technical ones. This will help people who have just begun to meditate and also those &nbsp;who have been meditating for a long time but are still unable to find their posture.</p><ol > <li> <p><strong>1. Sitting in a chair&nbsp;-</strong> This is by far the easiest way to meditate. Find a chair and sit in it with your back straight and your feet touching the ground. This is also for people who find it challenging to sit on the floor. While meditating in this posture, you just have to pay attention to the alignment of your spine. It should be straight. You can also use a pillow for more support. This posture strengthens your back muscles and prepares you for more unsupported postures.</p> </li></ol><p><Image class="imageStyle" src="/assets/images/Blogs/Sitting_in_a_chair_boy.png" alt="blog image" width={817} height={450} priority={true}/></p><ol > <li> <p><strong>2. Leaning your back against the wall&nbsp;-</strong> This meditation posture supports your back. It can be done while leaning back against a wall. You can cross your legs or extend them out in front of you, whichever you feel is most comfortable. A cushion or a blanket under you will also help you achieve a comfortable position.</p> </li></ol><p><Image class="imageStyle" src="/assets/images/Blogs/Leaning_your_back_against_the_wall-2.png" alt="blog image" width={817} height={450} priority={true} /></p><ol > <li> <p><strong>3. Kneeling down&nbsp;-</strong> It is not as difficult as it may sound. Bend your knees on the floor. You can take support between your knees and sit with your back straight. You can bring a pillow or a blanket. This takes off the pressure from your knees or ankles, and transfers it to your buttocks, making the pose easier to hold.</p> </li></ol><p><Image width={817} height={450} class="imageStyle" src="/assets/images/Blogs/Kneelingdown.png" alt="blog image" priority={true}></p><h3>Now let us explore some poses that do not require any support.</h3><ol > <li> <p><strong>4. Happy Pose&nbsp;-</strong> It is the simplest in this category. Remember how much you liked sitting on the floor as a child cross-legged? This is precisely the same. All you need to take care of is your back being straight. Your hands can rest anywhere on your lap.</p> </li></ol><p><Image width={817} height={450} class="imageStyle" src="/assets/images/Blogs/HappyPose.png" alt="blog image" priority={true}></p><ol > <li> <p><strong>5. Burmese Pose&nbsp;-</strong> This is just another variation of sitting cross-legged. All you need to do is bring the heel of your left foot towards your right thigh, in a way that it should be touching your thigh, and your right foot should lie gently on the left foot. You can allow your hands to rest inside your laps or on the top of each thigh. It is for you to decide.&nbsp;</p> </li></ol><p><Image width={817} height={450} class="imageStyle" src="/assets/images/Blogs/Burmese_pose_2.png" alt="blog image" priority={true}></p><ol > <li> <p><strong>6. Quarter Lotus&nbsp;-</strong> To get into this pose, cross your legs in front of you, keep your left foot on the floor below your right thigh, &nbsp;cross your right foot over and let it rest on your left calf. In simpler words, instead of keeping your left foot on the ground or on the right foot, &nbsp;keep it on the opposite calf. This pose helps strengthen your back and brings agileness to your body. And as usual, your hands can be kept as you may like.</p> </li></ol><p><Image width={817} height={450} class="imageStyle" src="/assets/images/Blogs/QuarterLotus.png" alt="blog image" priority={true}></p><ol > <li> <p><strong>7. Half Lotus&nbsp;-</strong> This pose is suited for people who want to prepare themselves for deep meditation practice. This pose is almost similar to the quarter lotus pose. The only difference is that when you cross your right foot, you rest the foot on the left thigh instead of the calf.</p> </li></ol><p><Image width={817} height={450} class="imageStyle" src="/assets/images/Blogs/HalfLotus_.png" alt="blog image" priority={true}></p><ol > <li> <p><strong>8. Full Lotus&nbsp;-</strong> The pose is said to increase circulation in the lumbar spine, nourish and tone the abdominal organs, strengthen the ankles and legs, and increase flexibility in the hips. The benefits of the pose go beyond just improving the flexibility of the hips. This meditation pose is well suited for people who do deep meditation practices. You rest your left foot on the right thigh and your right foot on the left thigh in this pose. Your hands can remain wherever they may suit you.</p> </li></ol><p><Image width={817} height={450} class="imageStyle" src="/assets/images/Blogs/fullLotus_.png" alt="blog image" priority={true}></p><ol > <li> <p><strong>9. Laying down&nbsp;-</strong> This is not a very common pose, and is &nbsp;suitable for meditation which intends to make you fall asleep. There is not much to say about how this pose will be performed. Just lay down and make sure your back is straight.</p> </li></ol><p><Image width={817} height={450} class="imageStyle" src="/assets/images/Blogs/Layingdown.png" alt="blog image" priority={true}></p><p>A quick tip:&nbsp;You can use a cushion or a blanket to support you at any point you feel disdain or uncomfortable doing these poses.</p><p>This was all about the poses. You can meditate for sometime while sitting. You can also meditate while standing. You can either rest your feet on the ground and join your hands near your chest or keep one foot on the ground and the other on the thigh of the opposite leg, making a triangle-like shape and joining your hand above your head. This will stretch your body and relax any tension from your muscles.</p><p><Image width={817} height={450} class="imageStyle" src="/assets/images/Blogs/a_quick_tip.png" alt="blog image" priority={true}></p><p>We have discussed almost nine different poses of meditation to achieve calm and peace in your life. Here are a few more pointers other than the poses that can make your meditation experience smoother and more comfortable.</p><ul> <li> <p><strong>Choosing the right time&nbsp;-</strong> Choosing the right time is not about doing meditation in the morning or evening. It is more about consistency. Choose a time or a situation and be consistent. It will help you deepen your practice every day.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Choosing the right environment&nbsp;-</strong> Choosing a place free of distractions is also very necessary while meditating. The place should be silent enough for you to be aware of your breathing.</p> </li></ul><h3>What is the right pose for you?</h3><p>Finding the right pose is very subjective, though you can start by slowly developing the habit by sitting on a chair while meditating and working your way up. Most of the meditations require sitting still while only few might allow you to change positions if there is any numbness or pain. Always remember while you meditate your back should always be straight and aligned with your spine. Start by trying different poses. It might seem difficult initially and maybe painful but you will get there. More peace and calm to you!</p>

Discover the best meditation postures for your practice with our comprehensive guide and improve your focus, energy, and alignment

Correct Meditation Postures - A Comprehensive Guide | Idanim

Meditating has many benefits but you need to do it the right way. Here is your guide to meditation postures that will help you discover the most suitable posture for you.

Correct Meditation Postures - A Comprehensive Guide

<p>Thoughts, creative thinking, and the power of imagination are fascinating unless you are under your covers and trying to get a good night&apos;s sleep. Imagine you have a significant day tomorrow. You go to your &nbsp;bed prepared, but you cannot sleep, no matter how hard you try. Thoughts are juggling through your mind, and you are stressing about having a lousy, unproductive day. Don&apos;t worry; this is very common and happens to most of us. :&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ijcmr.com/uploads/7/7/4/6/77464738/ijcmr_1440_may_31.pdf" target="_blank">Different studies&nbsp;</a>revealed that between 10% to 30% of adults have insomnia at any given point in time and up to 50% -60% have insomnia in a given year.</p><p>There could be several reasons behind this - everyday stress, hectic schedules, excessive usage of gadgets, lifestyle choices, etc. All these factors contribute to a damaged sleep cycle. Having said that, irregular or lack of sleep can lead to the risk of heart disease or chronic illness. It may also lead to impairments in the eyes, short term and long term deprivation in memory, decision making, attention or reaction time. On the other hand, a good sleep gives you clarity of thoughts, increases your productivity and attention span.&nbsp;</p><h2>Meditation at your rescue!</h2><p>It is essential to have 7-8 hours of undisturbed sleep. Now the question is, how do you achieve it? Should you consult a doctor, or is there any other way to achieve calmness and inner peace that lets you relax your mind and brain and sush the thoughts that keep you awake. Well, the answer is, &quot;yes.&quot; Multiple studies suggest that meditation has helped people achieve sound sleep.&nbsp;</p><p>A study published a few years ago in&nbsp;<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2110998" target="_blank">JAMA Internal Medicine&nbsp;</a>included 49 middle-aged and older adults with sleep problems. Half completed a mindfulness-based awareness program that taught them meditation and other practices designed to help them focus on their &quot;current experiences, thoughts, and emotions.&quot; The other half completed a sleep education course to learn how to improve their sleep habits. Both groups met 6 times a week for 2 hours. As a result, at the end of the six sessions, people in the mindfulness group had less Insomnia, malaise, and depression than people in the sleep education group.</p><p>Mindfulness meditation helps you focus on your breathing, train your everyday thoughts and evoke a relaxation response. Although there is no set pattern and the sleepmeditations are very simple, you can keep certain aspects in mind while doing meditation before going to bed. The first step is to choose a place that is quiet, calm, dark (if you are not scared) and free of distractions. Get into a comfortable position and make sure you have everything you might need.&nbsp;</p><h2>Choosing the right technique</h2><p>The next step includes choosing a suitable meditation technique. If you are new to meditation, you might be a bit confused about which one to go for. Well, you might have to experiment with a few techniques to find out what works best for you. Let&rsquo;s go over some popular meditation techniques:</p><h3>1. Yoga Nidra or Body Scan</h3><p>In this meditation technique, you will be asked to lie down, focus on each part of your body, suggesting it to relax. This will release any soreness in the muscles, helping you relax and taking you towards a good night&apos;s sleep.</p><h3>2. Visualisation Meditation</h3><p>Do you feel you are good at imagination? If the answer is yes, this meditation technique is for you. This meditation practice asks you to visualise an image or a scene that makes you feel happy and relaxed, calming your mind. It is like hypnosis, definitely a good kind, taking you towards sound sleep.</p><h3>3. Breathing Meditation</h3><p>This is very simple. What&apos;s the basic thumb rule for good sleep? You are tired, and you will sleep well. This involves first regulating and counting your breathing and then eventually slowing it down, which gives a tiring effect on your body. This meditation takes your mind from distracting thoughts, relaxing your body and eventually leading you towards a sound sleep.</p><h3>4. Sleep Stories</h3><p>Remember when we were kids, and our parents recited those fairy tales, and we would get the best sleep. Just thinking of this gives a feeling of nostalgia. Well, as kids we were not this stressed and we cannot remove that from our lives, but we can definitely go back to those stories. These stories take you to a dreamy place setting aside all your worries, which helps you sleep better.</p><h3>5. Counting</h3><p>Now, this is a widespread and most used technique for sleep. You may be asked to count numbers during this meditation, eventually slowing your mind and directing it towards rest. The most used is sheep counting.</p><p>Now that you are aware of the different techniques of meditation that can help you treat your Insomnia, find the best suited for you by practising them daily. Go ahead, make it a routine, find a comfortable environment, get into your meditation posture and let meditation do its magic.</p><h2>Other benefits of meditation</h2><p>Doing meditation before sleep can help you in many other ways than just treating Insomnia. It is one of the best age-old techniques for a healthy living. It helps you&nbsp;</p><ul> <li> <p>Stay positive&nbsp;</p> </li> <li> <p>Increase your productivity</p> </li> <li> <p>Reduce chronic pain.</p> </li> <li> <p>Reduce stress and anxiety</p> </li> <li> <p>Improve decision making</p> </li></ul><p>So what are you waiting for! Start your mindfulness journey without delay, allow your mind to breathe, stay calm, be more productive and have a sound and well-rested sleep schedule. And if you are wondering where to start your journey, try &apos;Idanim&apos;. This meditation app hosts a variety of meditation techniques by highly experienced teachers/gurus from all across the world.</p>

Improve the quality of your sleep and wake up feeling refreshed and energized. Read here how meditation can reduce insomnia and help you get sound sleep

How Meditation Helps to Reduce Insomnia | Idanim

Do you find it difficult to sleep peacefully at night? Lack of good sleep can lead to insomnia and many other health issues. This blog talks about the remedies

How Meditation Helps to Reduce Insomnia

<p>The workplace has changed a lot in the past few years, but it is agreeable even today that it can get over your nerves sometimes. Picture this: you didn&rsquo;t sleep well last night and woke up in a bad mood. You try to keep your patience as everything possible goes wrong before you even start working. Now you&rsquo;re late, and your boss is sure to be upset. No matter how hard you try today, you can&rsquo;t get ahead. That annoying coworker is on your last nerve, and you&rsquo;re drowning in deadlines. You hardly notice but your shoulders have climbed up to your ears or that you&rsquo;ve been holding your breath all day. Just imagining this might make you feel anxious.</p><p>You might feel like disappearing on a month-long holiday and getting some relaxation. Maybe you see yourself going to the mountains or beaches, sitting by the beauty of the night, enjoying the calm. But this won&rsquo;t always be possible because you have responsibilities at work and in your personal life.</p><p>So, how do you find peace in an increasingly busy, stressful world? The evidence has been mounting for years, and it&rsquo;s conclusive: meditation has significant effects on physical and emotional wellness.</p><p>Common reasons why people avoid meditation&nbsp;Maybe you&rsquo;ve tried meditating before, but you didn&rsquo;t &ldquo;get&rdquo; it. Or you&rsquo;re too busy and can&rsquo;t make the time. Before we discuss how meditation can solve your workplace problems, we need to clear up some misconceptions about meditation.</p><h3>Meditation is NOT:</h3><ul><li><p>Forcing yourself to sit in a rigid posture, regardless of pain</p></li><li><p>Clearing your mind completely of thoughts</p></li><li><p>A time-consuming, completely silent practice</p></li><li><p>Exclusively available to people of a certain religion</p></li></ul><p>If you go into meditation with the goal of not thinking, you are going to be disappointed. It&apos;s impossible to stop the mind from thinking - it works hard even when you&rsquo;re asleep. But meditation helps us become more aware of our thoughts and creates space between them and our actions. Stereotypes about posture and practice style come from specific traditions, but they&rsquo;re not requirements for the practice.&nbsp;</p><h2>What is meditation?&nbsp;</h2><p>You may get a different definition of meditation depending on who you ask, but the simplest definition is this: meditation is any set of practices, rituals, or techniques that increase awareness of the present moment. You can use meditation for relaxation, to improve focus, and to feel more connected to others.&nbsp;</p><h3>Meditation is:</h3><ul><li><p>Any posture that allows you to relax, even laying down</p></li><li><p>Becoming aware of your thoughts instead of reacting to them</p></li><li><p>Becoming more aware of any moment, no matter how small</p></li><li><p>Available to anyone, anywhere, at any time</p></li></ul><p>Now, should you listen to something guided, or practice independently? Are you interested in techniques from a spiritual tradition, or are you only interested in evidence-based, secular practices? The answer may be different depending on your reason for meditating.</p><h2>How will meditation help me at work?</h2><p>Meditation has exploded into the corporate world, but the benefits have been known for decades. Consider the 1983 case study of Detroit chemical plant owner R.W. Montgomery, who paid for half his workforce to learn meditation. He also paid for his workers to meditate for 20 minutes per day, on the job. You may think that sounds like a dream, but the benefits far outweighed the costs: absenteeism, sick days, and workplace injuries fell dramatically, and profits soared.&nbsp;</p><p>How can a simple daily meditation practice help you work smarter, not harder? Keep reading to discover the three most common workplace problems, and how you can use meditation to solve them.</p><h3>Problem 1: Work is too stressful.</h3><p>The average person will spend more than one-third of their life working; therefore, career choice and work environment have a huge impact on personal well-being. Between pressure to outperform, interpersonal conflicts with coworkers, and work-life balance, it can be hard to shake off the stress at the end of the day. Numerous studies claim that workplace pressures are the leading cause of stress in adult lives. With current global affairs, that pressure is just getting worse.&nbsp;</p><p>Think back to the scenario at the beginning of this article. Did any part of that person&rsquo;s day resonate with you? If so, you are likely holding on to stress. Tense muscles, back pain, headaches, tummy troubles, sleeplessness - these are all signs that stress is making a home in your body. If left unaddressed, stress can lead to long-term health impairments, including autoimmune disease.</p><h3>Solution: Try a guided meditation for relaxation</h3><p>Meditation is a powerhouse when it comes to down regulating stress in the nervous system. Studies show that meditation leads to a 30% decrease in stress symptoms that may lead to illness. Regular practice is more beneficial than sporadic attempts, but even ten days of guided meditation can reduce stress by 14%.&nbsp;</p><p>There are dozens of meditation techniques out there, but none are more studied than Mindfulness. This practice involves bringing your attention to sensations in the body or your environment, which helps you slow down and tell your body you&rsquo;re safe. This is a great technique to reduce burnout because it helps balance the fight-flight response of the nervous system with the rest-digest aspect. The more time your body spends in relaxation mode, the better!</p><p>Other techniques that significantly improve stress include guided relaxation and pranayama, or breathwork. The next time you&rsquo;re having a moment at your desk, try mindfully slowing your breath. Set a timer every day - try it before stressful meetings, or during your afternoon slump in place of coffee. Your body will thank you!</p><h3>Problem 2: I&rsquo;m bored at work and feel unfulfilled</h3><p>Whether you feel disconnected from your work, or your options for advancement aren&rsquo;t as great as you&rsquo;d like, there&rsquo;s nothing worse than finding yourself in a rut with your career. You may feel like you don&rsquo;t have enough creative control over the work you&rsquo;re producing, or that your job isn&rsquo;t spiritually fulfilling.&nbsp;</p><p>Unfortunately, the reality for many of us is that we have to do a job to pay our bills, and passion comes second. This might cause us to feel less than excited in other areas of our life, too. Studies show that low workplace satisfaction is linked to depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem.</p><p>But you don&rsquo;t have to quit your job and start over in a new career to fulfill your soul&rsquo;s desire. Of course, this is where meditation comes in.</p><h3>Solution:&nbsp;Meditation to relax the mind&nbsp;and increase creativity</h3><p>Researchers are just now catching on to the benefits of meditation for creativity by studying what is known as divergent thinking. Divergent thinking helps generate new ideas by exploring many possible outcomes. This method of processing involves breaking an idea down into smaller parts and observing from every possible angle. Naturally, a study by the University of Groningen found that meditators were able to be more creative due to their increased problem-solving skills.</p><p>Meditation allows us to create space between our thoughts and actions, which makes room for divergent thinking to occur. When we&rsquo;re not caught up in action, we begin to piece together more details - and see from a different perspective. Being able to do that helps in every aspect of the workplace: from interactions with colleagues to pivoting as a business.</p><p>If you&rsquo;re feeling bored and unfulfilled by your tasks at work, it may be as simple as managing expectations. Mindfulness helps instill a reflective quality in our thought processes so that we become more aware of simple moments of joy, as well as the mundane and boring.</p><h3>Problem 3: My back hurts from sitting all day</h3><p>No matter what kind of career you have, repetitive stress and workplace injury affect workers at all levels. Chronic pain may be the biggest contributing factor to absenteeism, but outside the bottom line, pain takes a toll on the psyche, leading to depression and anxiety. When sedentary positions and constant stress combine, it creates the inflammation and muscular tension that precede pain.&nbsp;</p><p>Muscular tension is a warning sign from your nervous system that it is overloaded with stress. When your nervous system starts communicating in this way, there is a high probability your immune system has already noticed, which is where stress leads to long-term negative health outcomes.</p><p>Meditation will help prevent chronic pain, but what if you&rsquo;re already experiencing pain and dysfunction?</p><h3>Solution: Try a chronic pain meditation.</h3><p>While meditation has a reputation for improving focus and thinking skills, it also helps the&nbsp;</p><p>systems of the body communicate effectively. If you need less focus and more muscle relaxation, meditation&nbsp;helps ease the tension that causes pain by soothing over-firing nerves that cause tension. Specific techniques like mindfulness and breathwork help rebuild bridges in the nervous system so your body can communicate more effectively. If sitting quietly and sensing your body is more your speed, conscious relaxation practices help undo the damage done by tension, leaving you with more freedom to move.&nbsp;<br><br>The most effective practice at relieving chronic pain is a combination of all three: mindful sensing of painful areas of the body, conscious relaxation to release tension, and mindful breathing to help increase blood flow. Together, this trifecta creates a powerful tool for healing chronic conditions.</p><h2>Create a meditation culture at work&nbsp;</h2><p>When it comes to management, reducing stress for employees is simply effective leadership. The evidence is clear that meditation creates better long-term health outcomes, reduces burnout, improves mood regulation and creativity, helps to manage pain, and so many more benefits.&nbsp;</p><p>If you&rsquo;re not in charge of your workplace, but want to inspire a cultural shift, start a daily meditation practice of your own. Find a welcoming space where you can sit comfortably, and enjoy your productivity break. There is no greater inspiration than someone who is quietly changing their own life.&nbsp;</p>

Learn how to reduce stress, increase productivity, and improve overall job satisfaction through this valuable practice. Learn to meditate online with Idanim

Guided Meditation to Reduce Stress & Increase Productivity

There are many challenges one might face at the workplace. Meditation has been proven to keep you calm and reduce stress

The Three Most Common Work Related Problems Solved by Meditation

<p>In this busy scenario where we are always trying to strike a balance between our personal and professional life, we tend to forget about our mental health. According to an article by Harvard Business Review, 43% of employees report high levels of stress and are on the verge of being burnt out. In situations like these, meditation comes out as one of the best ways to keep our calm.</p><h2>What is meditation?</h2><p>At a very basic level, meditation is defined as being aware: aware of your thoughts, the environment around you, and your emotions. When you become aware, you start acknowledging and appreciating things, which helps you gain patience and calmness. These practices have changed many lives for the better.</p><p>Consistent mindfulness and meditation programs—including guided meditation, silent meditation, and movement practices such as qigong and yoga—are helping many employees remain focused and balanced, increasing prosocial behavior and productivity. Here are the eight benefits of meditation at workplace:</p><h3>1. Use Meditation to Relax and Focus the Mind</h3><p>Stress reduction is a long-proven and immediate benefit of meditation. In bodies, physical and mental distress increases the stress hormone cortisol. Excessive cortisol leads to elevated levels of cytokines which may exacerbate depression and anxiety, contribute to cloudy or foggy thinking, and increase blood pressure. Meditation and mindfulness practices directly counteract stress, anxiety, and burnout.</p><p>A study from the Center of Mind and Brain at UC Davis highlights the connection between mindfulness and cortisol. Participants saw significant benefits after only a few weeks of meditation practice. Other research indicates that consistent mindfulness and meditation practices reduce cortisol levels and improve symptoms of stress-triggered health conditions such as fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and post-traumatic stress disorder.</p><p>Additionally, another study of corporate employees who used a mindfulness meditation app for eight weeks reflected that the employees experienced decreased job strain and anxiety while improving their feelings of well-being.</p><p>Even with a minimal time commitment, these quickly attained and lasting mental and physical results are a practical reason for incorporating mindfulness and daily meditation into corporate settings.</p><h3>2. Meditation Improves Cognition, Attention Span, and Creative Thinking</h3><p>Specific meditation techniques cultivate focus training. The ability to focus at will and for desired lengths of time enhance cognition. A 2018 study from the Center of Mind and Brain at UC Davis revealed that a regular and consistent meditation practice increased the ability to sustain attention. The cognitive increases were present at the time of the initial practice, but a longevity study of the participants also showed that cognitive benefits were still present seven years later.</p><p>Focused-attention meditation is like exercise for the brain. The technique helps increase endurance and strength of attention. Focused attention at work benefits the brain with task accuracy, productivity, problem-solving, and decision-making strategies, all of which support critical thinking and crisis management. Focus training meditation styles also reduce rumination, poor attention, and mind-wandering.</p><p>Additionally, these practices may improve creative solution problem-solving, promote divergent thinking, and reduce cognitive rigidity. Regular meditation or mindfulness practice encourages openness to bold and innovative ideas.</p><h3>3. Meditation Boosts Memory</h3><p>Improvements in clarity of thinking and attention may help keep minds young. Over the past decade, the American Psychological Association (APA) conducted research exploring the effect of mediation on the memory of military members.</p><p>The research group meditated regularly for eight weeks. Then, when exposed to highly stressful situations, including moments before deployment, they remained focused, productive, and stable. Control group members who had not meditated exhibited greater stress and decreased functional memory.</p><p>Meditation techniques that utilize mantras (chants) or mudras (specific hand positions) have been shown to focus thoughts and improve neuropsychological performance.</p><p>Harvard Medical School researchers found that meditation programs led to changes in brain regions involving learning and working memory capacity. Improvements in these regions assist reasoning and guiding behavior and decisions, especially at the workplace.</p><h3>4. Group Meditation May Lead to Increased Empathy and Enhance Collaboration</h3><p>Some meditation techniques intentionally increase positive actions and feelings toward self and others. They help cultivate an awareness of the common elements shared by all humans. Through the use of statements such as, “Just like me…” compassion and kindness are extended to loved ones, acquaintances, and ultimately people you find to be difficult. Practicing acceptance of others is a powerful leadership tool.</p><p>At the workplace, group meditation has been shown to successfully increase collaboration, innovation, and work quality. Group meditation may also be an excellent team-building technique for company off-site weekends or seminars.</p><h3>5. Meditation Enhances the Ability to Respond Rather Than React</h3><p>Through an increased ability to focus, the long-term practice of mindfulness and meditation techniques enhances the skill of responding to situations rather than reacting. This ability is essential for compassionate leadership. </p><p>A study published by the APA states that people who practice mindfulness and meditation are better able to distance and detach  themselves from difficult situations. They are still fully engaged but have disconnected the emotional responsiveness and can better focus on tasks at hand and make pragmatic decisions in times of challenges or crisis.</p><h3>6. Meditation Encourages Prosocial Behavior and Acceptance</h3><p>Meditation is well known for enhancing kindness, empathy, and compassion. Likewise , research studies also show that consistent meditation practice also encourages prosocial behavior, including reduced judgment for self and others and a willingness to have the patience to listen to others’ perspectives rather than one’s own.</p><p>This enhanced ability to accept others reduces bias at the workplace. This awareness is beneficial when thinking about team building and making effective decisions for business and society.</p><p>An increase in emotional intelligence goes hand in hand with meditation and mindfulness practices. This leads to better work relationships and friendships because individuals can communicate and express emotions more aptly and easily. Augmented acceptance of others fosters welcoming and holistic work environments. </p><h3>7. Meditation Reduces Imposter Syndrome and Supports Self-Esteem</h3><p>Some forms of meditation lead to an improved outlook on life, enhance self-esteem, and reduce depression. Often workers feel overwhelmed, believing that they can’t complete projects efficiently or effectively. Sometimes employees focus too much on how they are performing in comparison with their colleagues and become frozen with imposter syndrome.</p><p>Through enhanced self-awareness, regular meditation or mindfulness practice bolsters self-esteem, self-acceptance, self-confidence, and self-compassion. All of these elements reduce comparison to others and help employees develop into their best selves. One study review showed that practicing tai chi or qigong leads to improved self-efficacy—a belief in the ability to overcome challenges, leading to more proactive work practices, and problem-solving skills. </p><h3>8. Meditation Improves Sleep Quality</h3><p>Most working adults struggle with insomnia at some point. Studies show that mindfulness or meditation programs help people fall asleep more quickly and stay asleep longer.</p><p>Many guided meditations specifically target the relaxation of both the body and the mind. Meditation relaxes the mind and helps redirect racing thoughts and detach from rumination. Meditation also relaxes the body, reduces muscle tension,blood pressure, and the stress hormone-cortisol.</p><h2>Suggestions for Implementing Meditation to achieve work-life balance</h2><p>A common misconception about meditation or mindfulness practices is that they’re only effective if a person sits for long periods of time. While consistency is necessary, a meditation practice can happen in as little as one to three minutes a day. It is an incredibly accessible tool that can be practiced anytime, anywhere without a need for specialized equipment.</p><p>Consider starting or ending meetings with two to three minutes of meditation; this can set the tone for the meeting or the rest of the day. You can also try meditating for two to three minutes at the end of the workday to close the day’s work and create a clean break, moving into the rest of the day away from work. Begin with something as easy as a four-part breathing cycle, or try using a mantra or mudra as a way to enhance focus. Any of these options settle and focus the mind and ultimately lead to lasting cognitive and health benefits.</p><p>There are proven success stories and studies illustrating how mindfulness and meditation practices relax and focus the mind, effectively changing how the brain processes information. It's no wonder why so many people these days are shifting towards incorporating meditation into their daily lives. Meditation helps you with work-related stress, but it has enormous benefits for your health and mental well-being. Just start by practicing 10-15 min of meditation daily, and you will begin to realize its advantages.</p>

Looking to improve productivity at workplace? Read here how to boost your productivity and achieve more while maintaining a healthy work-life balance

Improve Workplace Productivity with Mindful Meditation

There was an unexpected life challenge when the Covid-19 pandemic hit us. We had to go through many changes in terms of lifestyle, health and work-life.

Blogs of Idanim