What is meditation?
Meditation is a spiritual practice that helps harmonize our mind and body. Many people use meditation to reduce stress and better understand their psychology, but it turns out that with its help you can even improve the physical state of the body! Deep immersion in oneself makes meditation a useful tool for a better understanding of eating habits, which can lead to weight loss.
Advantage
It is important to understand that meditation will not help to lose weight very quickly. But if you practice a little, it will affect not only your body but also your way of thinking.
While meditating, you focus on where you are, what you are doing, and how you are feeling at the moment. You should not evaluate these aspects as good or bad. Your physical sense of self will help you correct mistakes. That is why the main advantage of regular meditations is that your eating habits will gradually return to normal, and this will provide you with a constant healthy weight.
Awareness
Conscious meditation can be especially helpful in controlling the emotional shocks that lead to overeating. By better understanding your thoughts and emotions, you will be able to recognize those moments when you start snacking due to stress, and not because of hunger.
It is also a good way to avoid shame and guilt over your eating habits. Mindfulness meditation means recognizing your feelings and behavior as they are, and without judgment. This encourages you to forgive yourself for mistakes, for example, for a portion of chips eaten.
How to start meditating for weight loss
Anyone can practice meditation because for this you do not need any special adaptations. The hardest part for most of us is to find the time for this, so try starting with 10 minutes a day. Settle in a quiet, comfortable place where nothing and nobody will disturb you. If you have children, take time to meditate the moment they sleep or walk. You can even try to meditate in the shower!
Once you are in a quiet place, take a comfortable position for you, and focus on your breath. Feel it. Watch how your chest rises and falls during breathing. Do this for a minute or two until you feel relaxed.
Then, do the following:
Take a deep breath. Hold it for a few seconds;
Breathe slowly and repeat;
Watch your breath as it lifts your chest or stomach, but do not try to change it;
Continue to concentrate on breathing for 5-10 minutes.
You will find that your thoughts wander, which is completely normal. Just admit it and return attention to your breath.
Realize how easy it was to bring your attention back to breathing.
Try to do it every day. Keep in mind that the first meditation may not seem very effective to you, but by practicing it regularly, you will begin to feel better.
Additional weight loss techniques
Here are some tips to help you make a conscious approach to weight loss:
- Eat slowly. Focus on the slow chewing and taste of each bite;
- Find the right time to eat. Avoid eating on the run or during other activities;
- Learn to recognize hunger and satiety. If you are not hungry, do not eat. If you are full – do not continue. Try to listen to what your body tells you;
- Pay attention to how you feel after eating certain foods. Which ones give you a feeling of fatigue? Which one makes you feel stressed?
- Forgive yourself. You thought ice cream would make you feel better, but it is not. This is normal. Recognize your mistake and move on;
- Make a more thoughtful meal choice. Spend more time thinking about what you are going to eat before actually doing it;
- Pay attention to your addiction. Want some chocolate again? Recognize this – it will be easier for you to resist the desire for sweets.
