For the Meditation-Curious 🧘‍♀️

Science-backed benefits of meditation👇

I’ve been talking a lot about mindset, and one of the most common questions coming up is: 

How do I change my mindset? 

There are lots of ways to go about this, but one science-backed way is through meditation! 

Research shows that meditation literally changes the brain to:

✔️ Calm the “lizard brain” (amygdala)

✔️ Reduce anxiety

✔️ Manage eating behaviors

✔️ Increase pain tolerance

✔️ Improve sleep

✔️ Relieve stress

If you’re meditation-curious, you can dip your toe in (just 5 minutes a day!) with an app like HeadSpace of Calm.

References

Review of research by the NIH. 

Goyal M, Singh S, Sibinga EM, et al. Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Intern Med. 2014;174(3):357-368. [link]

Kral TRA, Schuyler BS, Mumford JA, Rosenkranz MA, Lutz A, Davidson RJ. Impact of short- and long-term mindfulness meditation training on amygdala reactivity to emotional stimuli. Neuroimage. 2018;181:301-313. [link]

Try This Simple Breathing Exercise ☯️

Have ONE minute for an energy boost? 

Stop the scroll and try ⭐Belly Breathing⭐

Lots of people don’t even realize their breaths are short and shallow. It’s how we breathe when we’re anxious, but for some it becomes a pattern. Shallow breathing decreases oxygen to the brain and can make you feel tired and distracted.

For a quick energy boost, try taking one minute for intentional belly breathing:

1️⃣ Inhale through your nose for a count of 4. Make sure your belly expands rather than your chest. 

2️⃣ Exhale through your mouth for a count of 4. 

3️⃣ Repeat for one minute. 

Taking action to improve your health and feel better does not need to be hard! Even one minute makes a difference.