Meditation is a huge part of a healthy lifestyle. Many successful people swear by its effects. It can help us to completely re-map our brains from thinking destructive and negative thoughts to remembering how to see the possibilities in every moment. Not only that, but knowing that we are putting our own mental health first and foremost can be a huge relief. Instead of engaging in negativity, we can take a time out and re-center ourselves to guarantee that no matter what is thrown at us, we are capable of getting where we want to be.

Most people aren’t sure whether or not they are even able to meditate. They picture themselves having to go into the Lotus position and holding it for a long time while not thinking about a single thing. That is a lot of pressure! However, the Lotus position is actually a yoga pose that is only meant to enhance the serenity of practitioners of yoga who have utilized it as a training toward a deeper awareness and calm. Beginner meditators do not have to do anything quite that advanced in order to receive the same effects.

Rather, meditation can be made very simple! The more often you do it the easier it becomes. And while it may seem impossible to clear your mind, especially when there is a lot going on in your life, once you get the hang of it, you will be able to recharge in just about any situation. Centering yourself is not as difficult as it sounds. There are not any difficult yoga poses necessary.

So if clearing your mind and improving your life sounds like something you would like to do, then you’re in the right place. By taking the time to learn about meditation and allowing it to be a part of our lives, we can begin to channel our thoughts into more productive patterns and give ourselves the recharge that we need when it seems like life has gotten to be a little bit too much.

The problem for many boils down to this; meditation is hard, sometimes boring and it just doesn’t work! All those yoga poses are too difficult to master and the whole process takes too much time out of my already busy day.

That’s where this course comes in. The information I have prepared for this course is extremely basic. I have tried to keep it simple and straightforward. In this course I propose that meditation isn’t so much about technique and more about thinking, clearing your mind of unwanted thoughts and then go back to thinking. At the end of the course I have included as a bonus my course on mindfulness meditation as I personally think that is the best and easiest form of meditation for most of us.

Then in the last half of the course we delve into what is referred to as Mindfulness Meditation.

Even though mindfulness meditation has been practiced in the east for centuries, it's only really been looked at in the west since the 70s. With a resurgence in popularity for taking care of oneself from within, mindfulness meditation is finally catching on in the west. Since it's gaining popularity, naturally you probably have a few questions about it.

What is Mindfulness Meditation?

Mindfulness meditation is the act of meditating by focusing on your surroundings. It is a practice that keeps you in the now and aware of your mind, body, and soul. A quick exercise is to press your toes firmly against your shoe or the floor. Focus entirely on the feelings you're experiencing. There are more in-depth guides to doing full-on mindfulness meditation, this is just a very small example.

What Does it do to Your Brain?

Even though practices such as mindfulness meditation, yoga, and other similar practices have been gaining ground, there are still plenty of skeptics out there. After a mere eight-week course, MRI scans showed that practitioners of this had their amygdala shrink. This is the part of your brain that controls the 'fight or flight' response, fear, and emotion. It also tells your body when to be stressed.

The pre-frontal cortex, which is most commonly associated with 'higher thinking' functions such as decision-making, concentration, and awareness grew. Tons of research and studies are still being done, so check out news surrounding mindfulness meditation for some truly mind-blowing science!

What's the Difference Between Mindfulness and Meditation?

Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, who has studied mindfulness for over three decades, has come out saying that when you practice mindfulness, you're actually meditating. This is because mindfulness is awareness. It's something that people don't' usually take the time to practice. However, when you devote concrete time (usually about 20 minutes), to awareness, you are in fact meditating.

If I haven’t scared you off by now, subscribe to the course and give it a shot. I think no matter what your negative view of meditation is now you will change your mind by the end of the course.