What comes to mind when you hear the word “meditation“? Do you have an image in your head of a group of people sitting in a circle, legs crossed, chanting “om”? If so, you’re not alone. Meditation is one of the more abstract, and often under appreciated, relaxation practices in today’s world. However, meditation can have very positive effects on your overall wellbeing and health by improving your ability to manage stress.

What does it mean to meditate?

What kind of practices are commonly used in meditation?

What positive benefits could meditation have in my life?

According to the Oxford Dictionary, to meditate means

“to think deeply or focus one’s mind for a period of time, in silence or with the aid of chanting, for religious or spiritual purposes or as a method of relaxation”

There are many ways to achieve relaxation through meditation, which makes it a fantastic form of stress relief and emotional regulation. According to a recent study conducted by The University of California, Irvine poor stress management can have an impact on your mental and emotional health as much as 10 years down the road.

Susan Charles, the lead researcher in the study, sums up her results by explaining “what our study suggests is that we need to think about how we experience our emotions on a daily basis because it has a long-term impact on our mental health.”

Here at the Viva Center, we want to help you find ways to manage your stress, and suggest meditation as a fantastic option. Our brand new Viva Center Marketplace offers many options for products to assist you in meditation, like these fantastic Meditation Candles.

If meditation is a new concept to you, or you’re not quite sure where to start, we also offer a fantastic book titled Mindfulness for Beginners by John Kabat-Zinn.