Meditation has been a well-known practice for ages, the same as the powerful impact it can have on our mental and physical health. But, how can we use meditation as a way to practice a more positive perspective of ourselves and our bodies? Keep reading to find it out.
Photo by Antonika Chanel
In 2014 there was research on self-compassion and body dissatisfaction for women. The goal of the research program was to investigate whether a 3-week period of self-compassion meditation training would improve women's body satisfaction. The results were very positive, participants’ body dissatisfaction decreased significantly, while they accomplished high levels of self-compassion and body appreciation.
One of the key features of meditation is focused attention on our thoughts and feelings we have over our bodies and then let the negative ones go. As we less engage with negative kind of body image-thinking, the less power we give to such thoughts and the feelings we have when encountering them.
Most common benefits of meditation:
It can help you to deal with your emotions and thoughts in a more calming and positive way,
It can help you to reduce stress and to control anxiety,
It can help you to develop better focus.
Photo by Samuel Austin
2 Meditation exercises to improve your body image and self-esteem.
The Meditation exercise I use to uplift myself and improve my self-esteem.
Find a place where you feel most comfortable and less distracted by other noises, if possible.
Turn on any meditation song of your own preference and visualize yourself feeling confident and both mentally and physically good in your body.
Imagine saying body positive affirmations about yourself like you already have them, feel them, and keep focusing on the feelings you get.
Don't criticize yourself if any negative thought pops up in your mind, instead focus on the intention to let go of these negative feelings and shift your intention back to the positive ones.
For a more relaxing vibe, light up a candle or incense.
This is what I have found that works for me very well, as the visualization and imagination is a huge part of my mindset.
Recommended meditation exercise for self-love by Yoga with Adriene.
As Meditation has dozens of different styles, it can be very confusing about deciding where to start and what to try first. Remember that the more you try out different meditation ways the closer you can get finding what works for you the best.
If you have no idea where to start and you feel like your busy schedule doesn't allow you to meditate, I highly recommend you to go for a Headspace app, which is how I first started my meditation journey. This app offers 5 - Minute meditation to calm your mind and be more in a present moment. I hope this post encouraged you to start your meditation journey if you haven't already. Good luck!
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