Meditation and mindfulness are increasing in popularity in the West. People find comfort in treatment in a variety of ways. You may be new to meditation and wondering why you should build a meditation practice. People have been meditating for thousands of years. It’s a way to move beyond the busy thoughts and into being present in the current moment. There are a wide array of meditation techniques, practices, and traditions. They all lead to the same goal of expanding one’s consciousness and creating present-moment awareness. Building a meditation practice can help you in a number of ways during your time in recovery and help make it even more effective.

Why Try Meditation

There are many reasons people seek meditation. It might be due to an anxiety disorder. It might be high blood pressure. Or, it might be to stop yelling at your kids so much. Some people seek meditation as an antidote to angry, anxious, or painful recurring thoughts. Others come to meditation to expand their consciousness, connect to God, or increase intuition. No matter what has you considering meditation the potential benefits are the same. They are physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Some benefits include lower blood pressure, increased sleep, increased production of the anti-aging hormone DHEA, and a sense of calm or peace. Even if you don’t see yourself as spiritual or see meditation as unscientific, you can benefit from the practice. More and more studies are being done that demonstrate the benefits of meditation.

Everyone experiences times when they just want to get away from whatever is bothering them. Meditation can give you that space that you need to calm yourself. Some of the benefits of building a meditation practice include:

Reducing stress levels
Improving focus
Reducing anxiety
Reducing depression
Improving relationships by increasing emotional stability
Improving memory
Aiding addiction recovery
Reducing physical and emotional pain
Increasing creativity

When we meditate it’s called a practice. Practice is a repeated performance or systematic exercise for the purpose of acquiring skill or proficiency. It’s a condition arrived at by practice or exercise. This means sitting and focusing on your breath once isn’t likely going to result in the array of benefits mentioned previously. It takes practice.

The Importance of Practicing Meditation

With our busy lives including constant immediate gratification getting quiet and sitting still can feel awkward. We are used to watching shows without commercials, having our coffee drink be on the counter and ready when we arrive, and having people respond within seconds to a text message. The art of patience takes practice. We practice getting better. Your first meditation experience might be two seconds of quiet followed by 10 minutes of planning your meals for the week, telling yourself you need to call your mother, and wondering how many likes your last Facebook post has gotten. It’s ok. Just come back to the present moment and take a breath. It’s all about progress, not perfection.

Learn More About Meditation from Oceanfront Recovery

Building a meditation practice can help both your physical and mental health. You would be surprised about how beneficial taking some time to breath can be. We offer a number of treatment programs and therapies to help you find some inner peace. Some of the therapies we offer include:

Oceanfront Recovery is a men’s addiction and mental health treatment center offering residential treatment for long term recovery care and exclusive executive tracks. Call us today for information on how you can start changing your story from addiction to recovery 877.296.7477