Men & Meditation: Why & How To Do It

Meditation has been around for centuries. It’s an old and powerful technique for improving both our mental and physical health. It’s a form of training your mind and taking control over your inner-self. It can be practiced by virtually anyone who’s ready to invest the time and energy necessary for mastering this skill. Men are no exception. Men should practice meditation for numerous beneficial reasons, and use this ancient technique to become more in control of their mental processes and tranquility. This article will help you understand why you should start practicing meditation as a man, and how to do it.

Let’s begin by breaking down the best benefits of practicing meditation as a man. Keep reading to see what good it will bring you and how it will help you transform yourself completely.

Here are the major benefits of practicing meditation that men will experience.

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Stress & anxiety reduction

We live in a time when everything is happening so fast, and we’re expected to keep up. Men get stressed out on so many levels during the day, it’s hard to even pin the major stress points down. From work to family life, men can feel stress in all forms and shapes. The troubles don’t stop there since stress is one of the main causes of all diseases and health issues we can experience.

Luckily, meditation can help men deal with the following:

• Reduces stress
• Deal with anxiety
• Lowers or eliminates stress and anxiety attacks
• Teaches you how to take control of your mind and body

Meditation won’t solve the problems you’re stressing about, but it will help you reduce the effect these problems have on your health and body.

Improved self-awareness

Every human being is an enigma. We learn for as long as we live, and we should never stop working on self-improvement. Meditation is a great way to dig deeper into your inner-self and learn about who you actually are.

It will help you improve your self-awareness. Here’s what that means:

• Learning about yourself
• Getting in touch with your emotional side
• Knowing what you want from life
• Setting clear goals
• Introducing positive changes

You’ll be able to understand how you feel and what you strive for. This will help you set a path and follow it with more confidence.

Reduces brain aging

Studies have proven that meditation benefits the brain and keeps it “younger”. This means that active meditations help you preserve brain functions and keep them in shape for a longer period.

The benefits that come along are the following:

• Better cognition
• Longer attention span
• Improved concentration
• Reduced memory loss

In a nutshell, all brain functions will be working better and you’ll feel empowered and confident.

Improves mood

Another majorly important benefit for men is mood improvement. Men who practice meditation on a daily basis will trigger the release of serotonin which will further evoke changes such as better mood, feeling relaxed and having improved behavior. You’ll feel better and you’ll be ready to deal with whatever life serves you.

How to meditate?

Now that you understand the benefits of meditation, it’s time for us to cover the basics of getting started with your meditation sessions. Remember that mediation is a complex skill and it takes a lot of patience and consistency to start enjoying it. Here’s what you need to know to get started.

1. Meditation area

First things first, you need to determine where in your house or apartment you feel the most comfortable meditating. It’s important that you choose a spot that is pleasant, peaceful, comfortable and remote. This is especially important if you don’t live alone. You need your mediation spot so go ahead and find one.

2. Position

Meditation is usually performed while sitting, although some people lie down to do it. If you want to start with the sitting position, get a cushion or sit on something soft. Then, cross your legs and relax your arms. Make sure this position is comfortable so that it doesn’t distract you from your mediation.

3. Breathing

Once you’re sitting comfortably, it’s time to close your eyes and start breathing naturally. Don’t overthink your breathing. Just make sure you have enough air in your lungs.

4. Focus

The most important part of meditation is the focus. You should be focusing on your breathing:

• Follow every inhale and exhale
• Think about the air filling all parts of your body
• Feel the air coming in and out of your body
• Listen to your breathing

You should be focusing on these simple processes and not let your mind wander.

5. Distractions

In the beginning, you’ll find it harder to keep your focus on your breathing and not think about dozens of other things. But, distractions are inevitable and will happen to you eventually. So, what should you do once your brain starts wandering around? Simply take a short pause, try letting go of the thoughts that came to your mind, and slowly return back to focusing on your breath.

Final thoughts

Meditation is a life-changing and empowering technique that every man should try and practice. It is beneficial on numerous levels and it will improve your mental health immensely. Hopefully, the guide above will get you more interested in the benefits of meditation and inspire you to try it out. Follow the simple advice on how to meditate and try it out today. Then you’ll truly understand what meditation is all about.