meditation gear – Calming Cosmos

Meditation is my ultimate go-to self-care exercise whenever I feel the need to come back to a more relaxed state of mind. Whenever the chaos of my swirling thoughts gets too much, meditation never fails to help me get back in touch with my most inner self and release any doubts or fears I feel at the moment. A little while ago however, I began to focus more on the sensations taking place in my body while meditating, and noticed feeling my energy levels going up. This made me wonder whether meditation is not only a useful tool for relaxation and winding down, but whether meditation can also give you more energy. This is what I’ve found out. Meditation can be a highly effective tool for increasing your energy levels. As our brain uses huge amounts of energy, the deep breathing exercises of meditation allow the body to receive more oxygen and let go of stresses and thoughts which in turn will lead to feelings of increased energy. So, even though meditating for energy seems kind of contradictory, it’s actually a quite logical side effect of meditation and let’s face it; a much healthier way of increasing your energy levels than using short lasting energy boosters like stimulant beverages for example. Now that we know meditation can be a great energy provider, let’s find out what would be the best way to practice this form of meditation in order to receive more feelings of liveliness and power. How To Meditate For More Energy In order to receive the full energetic benefits of meditation, the best duration of a meditation session is advised to be between 20 and 30 minutes. This is the average amount of time it will take to recharge your inner battery and actually feel an increase of energy in your mind and body. The most important part of meditating for more energy is to focus on your breathing. As shallow breathing has the most influence on experiencing feelings of stress and unease, our goal is to get in a relaxed breathing pattern that will allow more oxygen to be released in our system. Step-by-step Energy Meditation Stand in an upright positions, keep your back straight and ‘open’ your chest. (This position alone should already give you a more energized and powerful sensation!) Close your eyes and keep a light smile on your face. By 'forcing' yourself to smile, even though you might not feel like it, you will start to feel more relaxed and happy as our body isn't able to tell the difference between a real or fake smile. Focus on your breath. Take in a slow deep breath and feel and visualize the energy flowing through your body. Imagine the oxygen reaching all the cells of your body and restoring your energy levels. Breathe out slowly and keep visualizing and feeling the energy moving around in your body. Visualize the breath leaving your mouth taking all the negative stressful energy and fatigue that has been stored up in your body with it. Visualize and feel all energy draining sensations leaving your body and feel it being replaced with new powerful energy. When you notice unwanted thoughts entering your mind, let them be, don’t try to push them away. Try to truly accept the thoughts, whatever they might be, and you will feel them slowly but surely drifting away. Thoughts you accept will have no power over you. Be kind to yourself. Repeat the deep in- and out-breathing until you feel like your energy has been restored. Take a moment to notice the change in your energy levels and the sensations of your body. When you can feel your energy levels have risen, you can slowly open your eyes. If you feel like it, you can also stretch your body for a bit. The Mental And Emotional Benefits Of Meditation Meditation is known to have a lot of great benefits mental and emotional benefits. Even by practicing meditation just a couple of minutes per day, you will be able feel at least a small positive difference in any of the following areas: A greater sense of creativityBetter concentrationIncreased memoryFaster decision making abilitiesA greater sense of focusIncreased feelings of calmness Increased feeling of happinessLess feelings of worryIncreased sense of optimismOverall mood improvementsBetter ability to connect with othersIncreased feelings of self-esteem Even after only doing a short meditation of just a few minutes, the positive after affects of meditation will continue to follow you throughout the day. If you decide to practice your meditation in the morning before starting your day, you will begin to notice feeling more relaxed, alert and sharp. This in turn will increase your chances of feeling more happy and energized throughout the day. Can Meditation Give You A Natural High? It is true that meditation can provide a natural high. By the deep breathing exercises you focus on during meditation, while simultaneously truly letting go of lingering negative thoughts and feelings, you might be able to experience what may feel simular to feelings of being ‘high’. When you’re on a harmless ‘natural high’, this might come in the form of feeling limitless and pure freedom. This feeling will go beyond any feeling you normally experience. Even though feeling ‘high’ is a possible side effect of meditation, keep in mind that this shouldn’t be your primary goal or focus while meditating. These types of feelings only have the possibility to occur when you’re truly patient and non-resistant. As meditation teaches you to let go, it is important to have no specific expectations while meditating. Recommended Gear For Meditating While having specific meditation gear is certainly not a necessity for a good meditation session, it can surely make your experience a whole lot more comfortable! Below I will share some of my personal favourite meditation tools to make your experience that much more enjoyable (plus, I will not deny it, I just love the serene and positive vibes they add to my home!). Meditation Cushion Whenever I am doing a meditation at home, I like to use my meditation cushion. A meditation cushion is great for giving you optimal back support as it will allow you to sit in a correct and comfortable position, and it helps you to prevent getting distracted by your body feeling uncomfortable during your meditation (I mean, grounding is great and all, but not when a certain body part is feeling numb). Meditation Bench Using a meditation bench during meditation sessions is great for anyone who doesn’t like having to cross their legs while sitting on a cushion or pillow. This meditation bench will allow you to enjoy longer sits, which makes it ideal for anyone planning to practice more lengthy meditations instead of just a short 5-minute meditation. A meditation bench is great for better blood circulation and enhances deeper breathing and ultimate focus. Acupressure Matt I personally use my acupressure matt after meditation. The reason I don't use this matt during meditation is because the spikes just seem to distract me a bit too much while I am trying to focus on feeling.. well.. nothing. However, I do find this acupressure matt extremely pleasurable after a good meditation session, especially before going to bed. As the technique of the acupressure matt can help with increasing blood flow and reduce feelings of stress and worry, I feel it’s a great additional tool to assist me during my ‘mental self care’ routine.