You recently scheduled a hammertoe surgery and have started to feel incredibly anxious about it. While this is a relatively painless procedure, it’s normal that you’re having some worries about it. Did you know that mindfulness meditation can help you feel calmer when you start to feel overwhelmed? If you’re interested in how meditation can help you, here are 4 benefits of mindfulness meditation!
The Power of the Present Moment
Mindfulness meditation is a portal into the world in front of you. What does this mean? So often, we are caught up in our thinking that we forget where we are. Certainly you’ve experienced times where you walk into a room and forget what you initially went in there for. What we’re talking about is that forgetfulness of who we are and what’s surrounding us.
Meditation is a great practice to bring you fully and deeply into the present moment. This place holds a lot of power as it’s the only thing that is our reality. This moment in front of you is the one thing that is absolutely true. Instead of dwelling in our heads, we are propelled into the beauty and wonder that surrounds us at all times.
Eases Anxiety and Depression
If you struggle with anxiety or depression, mindfulness meditation can help ease those uncomfortable symptoms that coincide with them. Mindfulness practices allow you to disconnect from self-doubt or anxious thoughts and get in contact with who you are at your core – which is not your thoughts.
Mindfulness meditation also helps you if you’re feeling sad or down. Instead of unconsciously sitting in a state of discomfort, meditation allows you to open up your eyes and see the good that’s in the world. It helps conjure up gratitude and peace, which could instantly make you feel better.
Fosters Self-Awareness
One of the most important elements of mindfulness meditation is it helps you to become more self-aware. Self-awareness plays a big role in your life – through what you think and how you act. There’s a small gap between what your mind tells you and how you respond to it. This gap holds the power, and this gap is found through mindfulness.
Self-awareness gives you more control in a life that is full of unpredictability. One of the root causes of our suffering is that we don’t realize we have the potential and ability to change it. Self-awareness helps you see the way out. It allows you to observe your thoughts without clinging to them. In turn, your response to your thoughts will come from a place of peace and knowing rather than unconsciously reacting.
Allows You to Not Take Everything Personally
We are all so often concerned about others’ views of us that we become hyper fixated on pleasing people. Or, we take everything they say or do personally. However, most reactions from people are their projections – and it has little to do with you.
Practicing mindfulness meditation allows you to not absorb what other people say or do and make it a part of your identity. Instead, you’re able to clearly see that the actions of others have much more to do with them than they do with you.