GUEST POST by Patricia Galavis

I began meditating in 2009, one year after I started my yoga asana (posture) practice. But, in 2016 everything changed when I got the opportunity to try Zen Mindfulness and Meditation.

The Zen techniques I discovered were so practical and effective compared to what I’d learned about meditating so far. They had such a profound effect on me that I’ve followed these methods ever since.

So, why Zen Mindfulness and Meditation?

Well, my meditation practice literally just took off when I started meditating the Zen way. My practice improved, grew and began to have an effect on all my daily activities.

The benefits I’ve experienced from my meditation practice have increased 10 times in these three years since 2016 than in the previous seven!
For me, Zen Mindfulness and Meditation was and is that powerful. It is the simplest, most effective meditation technique I’ve encountered to date.

Mindfulness is extremely powerful but subtle at the same time, and it’s actually not that big of a deal. The following words by Jon Kabat-Zinn explaining the effect of Mindfulness in us and our lives explains this beautifully…

“Once you have been practicing for a period of time, it is almost inconceivable that you ever could have managed without it in your life – it is that powerful, and also that subtle, because at the same time it doesn’t seem like any kind of ‘big deal’. Mindfulness is both nothing special and incredibly special, totally ordinary and completely extraordinary, all at the same time.”

What are the benefits of Mindfulness and Meditation?

Mindfulness and meditation techniques are a great way to invite calm and focus into your daily life. There’s lots of research now to back up these claims. The scientific benefits are many. To name only a few, mindfulness and meditation can:

• Build resilience.

  Multiple studies have proved that mindfulness and meditation have the potential to reduce anxiety.

• Improve emotional intelligence.

  An investigation with brain images has proved that a regular meditation practice can help regulate the emotions.

• Increase creativity.

  We can unlock our biggest inspirations and creative thinking when we are in a mental state of meditation and relaxation.

• Improve relationships.

  Mindfulness and meditation can help improve your mood, increase empathy and the feeling of connection with others. Helping you be more compassionate and understanding. Acting rather than reacting in difficult situations.

• Increase focus.

  Different studies have proved that our mind tends to wander 50% of the time. On top of that we have all the interruptions at work, text messages, WhatsApp, phone, email… The practice of meditation helps you to keep your focus and can even improve your memory.

How do I learn more and discover the benefits of Mindfulness?

If you’d like to learn more about Zen Mindfulness and Meditation, I’m teaching an Online Six Hour Mindfulness Course starting Tuesday 26 May 2020. I’ll teach you the techniques and give you the support you need to incorporate them into your daily life and discover the benefits for yourself.

This course is perfect for beginners as well as those with some experience of mindfulness and meditation who would like to explore it further.

“I thought all the time

 I was learning to win;

But I realize now:

To win is no more,

No less, than to lose.”

 Bujutsu Sosho (Tokyo, 1925)

PS If you’ve found this post of interest please share as other people you know may find it interesting too…