Meditation: The One Thing You Need to Stay Healthy This Winter

With cold and flu season upon us, it’s more important than ever to look out for your health—but it can be hard to keep your mind off the sniffles when you’re trying to relax with your favorite TV show or book. The solution? Meditation! When you meditate, you can calm down your mind and strengthen your immune system so that the next time someone sneezes, you’ll only wish they’d given you some of their germs so you could build up your immunity.

9 Benefits of Meditating Regularly

9. It’s good for your immune system . Those with a healthy immune system are less likely to catch colds, viruses, or other illnesses—making regular meditation a good idea if you often feel like you’re surrounded by germs. 8. You’ll have greater empathy for others . Regular meditators have been shown to have higher levels of empathy than non-meditators—which may also be tied into their increased ability to control their emotions and stress levels. 7.

How to Start Meditating

To reap meditative health benefits, start with a simple breathing exercise. Inhale for four seconds, then exhale for six. Then repeat a few more times. Try going through five sets of these inhalations and exhalations each day—you’ll find yourself feeling calmer in no time. If you want more advanced techniques, try visiting a meditation studio or class in your area.

What Type of Meditation Should I Do?

There are a number of different types of meditation techniques out there, each with its own benefits. To help you choose which type is best for you, we’ve laid out some of our favorites below. Don’t know where to start? Consider trying a class or reading an introductory book. And don’t worry too much about which technique is best—the point is that meditation can improve your life in all sorts of ways. So if it works for you, do it!

What is Mindfulness?

A state of active, open attention on the present. When you’re mindful, you observe your thoughts and feelings from a distance, without judging them good or bad. Instead of letting your life pass you by, mindfulness means living in the moment and awakening to experience. ~Jon Kabat-Zinn

Why Should I Do Mindfulness Exercises?

There are many reasons to take a cold shower, and not all of them have anything to do with making you feel like a tough guy. In fact, there are plenty of benefits you can reap by jumping into (or at least getting under) a chilly shower. Regular cold showers boost your immune system, improve heart health, and lower stress levels—and they’re also just great for your mental health.

How Can I Practice Mindfulness in My Daily Life?

Mindfulness is the awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally to things as they are. I used that definition because it’s straight from Headspace, an app for practicing mindfulness developed by former Buddhist monk Andy Puddicombe.

Think of it like yoga or meditation—just one component of an overall healthy lifestyle. Mindfulness helps you take notice of all your daily decisions (e.g., what should I eat for breakfast?

Tips on Catching Moments of Mindfulness When They Happen

Meditation might seem hard and far-off, but there are easy ways to integrate small moments of mindfulness into your day. Take cold showers, for example. While it can be hard to focus your mind, it’s actually easy to reap meditative health benefits. Those with a healthy immune system are less likely to catch colds, viruses, or other illnesses—making regular meditation a good idea if you often feel like you’re surrounded by germs.

Finding (And Maintaining) Motivation To Meditate

If you want to reap some of these meditative health benefits, meditation is one small, easy step you can take towards a healthier routine. However, it can be hard to focus your mind, and if you’re in an environment that’s disruptive or unfulfilling, trying to meditate might feel impossible. If you want motivation to start—or stick with—your meditation practice, try taking cold showers every day for 30 days straight.

*** Health care Help ***