Until recently, meditation was considered something from the world of yoga and religion. And now Hollywood stars, top models, Michelin chefs and even scientists are talking about their practices. Cytogeneticist Elizabeth Blackburn, who received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, proved that people who recite mantras and temporarily disconnect from the outside world feel better and live longer (for more information about what else has a positive effect on our body, read here).
Based on the results of foreign studies, you only need 12 minutes of breathing exercises a day, and in just a couple of months your health and mood will return to normal. The ability to stop the flow of thoughts increases the neuroplasticity of the brain, the gray matter of people over 50 who do regular practices "looks" seven years younger. It also helps to improve concentration by 16%, cope with depression and improve sleep.
About how it works, where to start and what to listen to, BeautyHack asked the heroines who have been practicing meditation for several years.
Anna Shkolnyak
stylist and photographer
My first experience came after many events that made me very tired. I heard a lot about meditation and decided to try it. I found videos on Youtube, under which I relaxed, slept under meditation. Then a painful breakup happened - I was getting out of a long and toxic relationship. There was a clear understanding that I needed to cleanse myself. My thoughts did not leave, I wanted calmness. I flew to Bali. It was there that I really felt what meditation is.
Meditation is inner silence and talking to yourself, not that you are lying to the music. Music is relaxation and rest, but it is not meditation. The teacher advises not to even light incense so as not to be distracted, but they help me to turn off my consciousness and create a pleasant environment.
I learned everything in Bali. I sat for 5-10 minutes and tried to stop the flow of thoughts. I learned how to meditate thanks to several people in Bali and the Welcome Back Home blog, which details the 10 steps of meditation.
Coming to meditation takes time. It is impossible to sit down the first time, turn off the brain and consciousness, turn off your thoughts. The Welcome Back Home teacher teaches you to gradually enter this life. I went to meetings on meditation and mantras, where they say that even teachers cannot always succeed. Don't push yourself if it doesn't work out. Thank yourself and return to meditation the next day.
If you give up meditation even for a week, then you will have to start all over again. Meditation is a daily practice. It is very important to sit comfortably so that nothing bothers you. You don't need to take the lotus position - your leg or arm may become numb. Sit in a comfortable chair, for example, close your eyes and relax. Concentrate on the brow and dispel your thoughts as if they were clouds. You can meditate lying down if you are confident that you will not fall asleep. You need to concentrate your attention within yourself, meditation is not about sleep.
It gives clear consciousness and sharpens intuition. Everything in life begins to change. You leave the house and you have nothing to do, but there are requests for which people are given to you. How this happens is not clear, but this sharpening of intuition makes it clear who needs to call and at what moment. Meditation brings calmness and acceptance. You start to trust yourself and you stop.
Elena Temirgalieva
founder of beauty salons and online store "Milfey"
I studied this for a long time and diligently after starting yoga, but I never forced myself. If she felt that she was ready to try, then she retired and tried to immerse herself in herself and distance herself from the outside world. For the first time it happened in India, the trip was wonderful, there I felt the lightness of being - both physically and spiritually. I was very cleansed in every sense: minus 6 kg in my body, and a real cleaning took place in my head. I let go of all unnecessary and left room for the most important thing. By the way, after that trip my social circle became very narrowed.
She studied in all available ways: read books, talked with friends and a mentor. It took a lot of time, but I was in no hurry, because everything has its time. You need to come to this consciously and calmly.
I will definitely include mantras. I use incense if I practice indoors. If in an open space (for example, in my Spanish house I practice in the garden), then to the sounds of nature, because nothing is better than them that relaxes and clears thoughts.
If I am unable to disconnect from the stream of thoughts, I stop. It is impossible to immerse yourself in yourself by force, so you need to listen to yourself, be able to hear. You need to start meditating gradually and consciously, to understand that a miracle will not happen instantly, this is the same work with yourself and your spirit. Try to do the meditation in nature or all alone, using all the attributes, and I also advise you to do it at least once in the early morning, you will definitely feel the difference.
Alas, now I rarely practice, it takes me a lot of time, but it is always not enough. But on the other hand, when I meditate, I get rebirth, inspiration. It is difficult for me to explain this state in words, but definitely I am filled with something special and become more harmonious, which is most important for me.
