Transform Your Life in One Week

In today's world, it's more important than ever to have a clear intention and elevated emotion when it comes to your health and well-being. By doing so, you're beginning to change your brain and body from living in the past, present reality to living in the future, present reality and the thousands of possibilities that lie ahead.

One way to achieve this is by practicing daily meditation. According to a study published in Current Biology, people who practiced meditation had increased gray matter density in the hippocampus, which is responsible for memory and navigation.

Additionally, they showed improved working memory as well as decreased cortisol levels – all of which suggests that regular meditation may improve brain health overall.

If you're new to meditation or want to increase your practice, here are five easy tips:

1. Sit or recline comfortably with your eyes closed and take some deep breaths until you feel relaxed. Once you're at ease with the life you could be living if you started using these techniques today!

2. Once you're in a calm state, begin to focus on your breath and allow it to flow evenly into and out of your lungs. Try not to think about anything else – just relax into the experience.

3. When you find yourself wandering off, bring your attention back to your breath by focusing on the rising and falling of your chest or abdomen. Stay with this for a few minutes until you feel centered again before moving on to the next exercise.

4. Mindfulness meditation! This involves paying attention solely to what's happening in your mind without reacting emotionally or mentally (ie feeling stressed, upset, happy, or angry). Start by focusing on your breath and then expanding your attention to include any thoughts or sensations that come into your mind. Just be aware of them without judging or reacting.

5. Veterans often suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) which can be treated through mindfulness practice as well as medication and therapy. If you're experiencing PTSD symptoms, seeking professional help is strongly recommended! If you're looking to ease into meditation or want to find a more regular practice, these tips should help. If you're experiencing significant stress in your life, professional help may be the best solution for you.

Jerry Nelson is an American writer living the expat life in Buenos Aires. Some of the adventures Jerry has enjoyed, he jumped into the ocean from the flight deck of an aircraft carrier in the Gulf of Aden, cut off a goat's balls as part of a mating ritual in Indonesia, raced a NASCAR around the oval in Charlotte, created a small coin purse out of live Tarantulas in Australia's outback, spent six-weeks with the Sinaloa cartel along the U.S./Mexican border and sailed a 16th century schooner through the sound and into the open ocean.

Never far from his coffee and Marlboros, Jerry is always glad to discuss future working opportunities. Email him at [email protected] and join the quarter-million who follow him on Twitter.