Have you ever tried to meditate to help with stress, only to realize you can’t sit still? Now there you are, more frustrated than when you started! The most challenging part of starting a meditation practice is actually starting the practice.

First, understand that there doesn’t have to be a set routine. No time constraints, no rules, and no right method to practice. Just practice. You’re the boss of your mind and you get to dictate the terms of how your meditation practice will look. The only real requirement is the desire to start.

Five major benefits from a regular meditation practice.

Hundreds of studies exist that show how meditation can alleviate stress, help you sleep, deal with anxiety and depression, manage pain, and improve your interpersonal relationships. Here are just 5 ways your life will improve when you start meditating regularly.

• Stress relief- There’s no need to go over the laundry list of things that cause stress. It’s different for everyone. Something that stresses you out might not be a big deal to someone else. Other folks may get overwhelmed while you remain cool as a cucumber. While stress is be subjective, how it affects your brain and body is not. Common side effects of stress include an increased heart rate, feelings of anxiety, insomnia and poor digestion. Studies reveal that during meditation, the opposite begins happens. Once your brain is in a relaxed state of mind (pun intended), your breathing slows down, your digestive system works more efficiently and you have an increased sense of wellbeing. Can you imagine what it feels like to live a relaxed lifestyle?
• Better sleep quality- If you find yourself having a hard time quieting the chatter in your head at bedtime, try some meditation. Focusing on your breath shifts your mind away from the stressful thoughts of the day or what you have on deck for tomorrow. As you begin to notice your intentional breathing, your heart rate slows down and you experience the effects of the feel-good hormones flowing through your body. One piece of advice- don’t go back to your phone post meditation- the blue light will increase brain activity and bring you out of the relaxed state of being.
• Heightened intuition- you’re not going to become a psychic from a regular practice in meditation, but you will be able to tap into your subconscious a little deeper each time. As you practice more, you learn to eliminate the excess mental chatter that dominates your daily life and before you know it, you’re understanding things on a higher level of consciousness. You hear those little whispers of intuition and will trust that you “know” what to do next. This leads directly to an increase in…
• Self awareness- Practicing meditation regularly teaches you how to control your thoughts. It’s one of the most powerful things you can do for yourself. It puts you in control of how you react to people and circumstances.  The next thing you know, you begin to make unconscious decisions about life in a more gentle and relaxing way. Do you even recognize yourself? This goes hand in hand with the next concept.
• Finally, are you a control freak? Be honest with yourself. If you’re not sure, ask your closest friends or family members- they may be a bit more candid about the answer. In one way or another, we all are, some just take it to a whole other level. Once you begin to view your life more gently, you will lose the need to control what other people do. A regular practice in meditation give you the tools to experience more fulfilling relationships at home and at work. But most of all, it will give you the grace to handle to most important relationship- the one with yourself.

Slow and steady wins the race.

Will these changes happen overnight? Believe it or not, the answer is yes! Some things you will experience right away, and in time, many more will follow. Now is the time to begin a regular meditation practice. Transform yourself from the inside out. Give yourself the opportunity to make those small, but significant changes. In the end, it will improve your life in so many ways.

Try this short and sweet guided meditation to get you started.