A tween girl meditating in Belize. Phot by: harmoniouskids.com
Reportly, Giselle Bundchen, Angelina Jolie, Demi Moore, Oprah, Eva Mendes and Katy Perry all swear by it.
According to Wikipedia.org, there are over 3,000 scientific studies on the benefits of daily practice, which include that of the American Psychological Association, Harvard Medical School and University of California.
Just like taking vitamins and using moisturizer, meditation works best when done every day.
The good news is that you don’t need to be a spiritual junkie, a monk, a yogi or even be into new age philosophy in order to take in the benefits of this low-impact, no-cost, at-home practice. You don’t even have to be an adult, as kids also can meditate.
Even if you and your kids are a meditation rookise, both can still get short-term benefits of starting it but throughout time, these benefits can extend to long-term.
In case you are curious what all the hype is, here we break down the 4 reasons why you might be missing out from committing to 5-20 minutes of seating in silence every day.
1- Body
Adding meditation can create a domino effect for other good habits as eating a sensible breakfast, reading the Bible, doing affirmations and exercising. In addition to an increase of energy, according to the Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine, meditation also can help reduce alcohol and substance abuse.
2- Health
Research found that meditation can strengthen your immune system up to 50%, which translates to less sick days. In addition to help preventing arthritis, it also assists in the reduction of asthma, blood pressure, pre-menstrual & menopausal syndrome, as well as heart & brain problems.
3- Mind
Meditation can increase mental focus, memory recall, creative thinking, decision making, as well as problem solving. According to the Clinical Neurophysiology Journal, meditation also helps manage ADHD (Attention Deficit hyperactivity Disorder).
4- Spiritual
Even if you always spend time with yourself, meditation helps you get acquainted with your authentic self – without the ego, the fears, the pretending and the insecurities. By “looking” inward, you get in touch with your inner Light, which will lead to better control of emotions and an overall state of bliss – even in challenges. And added bonus: By silencing the brain chatter, you open yourself to receive divine inspiration to guide you in making decisions.
5- Emotional
Meditation is one odd the strongest natural stress-relievers, which helps in reducing emotional eating, as well as feelings of worry, fear, loneliness, sadness and anxiety. In turn, you enjoy a better mood, optimism, awareness, resilience, emotional intelligence, self-esteem and self-acceptance. It’s also an excuse for “me time” where you create a non-negotiable “date” with yourself….without the guilt.
Just like going to the gym, you and your kids will not see results immediately but just doing it will immediately make both of you feel better for yourselves, will awaken complementary habits and if you both stick to it, see life-changing benefits.
Ready to start? Watch this very helpful video of how to meditate for children (and you!):
Anllelic Lozada “Angie” is a proud P.A.N.K (professional aunt with no kids), a Personal Marketing Strategist in NYC and Los Tweens & Teens “Tia-in-Charge,” based in New York City. Anllelic wants you to best your best life so you can positively influence your tween and teen. Subscribe to her weekly e-newsletter in Spanish in marketingparatucarrera.com/Vendete, where she shares personal marketing strategies to help you “Comunicar lo genial que eres.”