Welcome back readers, it’s Monday! I hope that you all had a relaxing weekend and are staying healthy. As we begin a new week of more uncertainty and changes in our lives, we need to remember to care for ourselves and do our best to reduce our stress while we are continuing to stay in and practice social distancing. When people hear the word meditation they often think it takes years to learn and there is only one way to do it. That is not true, in fact meditation is quite simple. All you need is yourself and your awareness. Meditation is powerful and can really make a change in our lives if we choose to practice it on a regular basis. Making meditation part of your daily routine has the potential to make changes in your life, your body, and your brain.

Taking time each day to practice some meditation can bring a multitude of benefits such as a reduction in stress and anxiety and can make you more empathetic to others, as well as other benefits.

Below, is a brief video explaining the science behind meditation and how it can bring changes to your life. It explains how meditation effects the brain and how it actually can change your brain! Meditation can make you healthier in your mind and body. Who doesn’t want to be more healthy in their mind and body?

Meditation, where it may seem difficult is quite simple in practice. This video is a simple explanation on how you can start meditating today and experiencing the benefit in your life.

I feel we all are a bit overwhelmed, stressed, fearful, and anxious. These are normal feelings to have considering what we are all going through right now. With all that we may be dealing with in each of our individuals lives remember, we are in this together. Being able to take a few minutes to turn off the news, put down the social media scrolling, get away from our work and just check in with yourself is very important in our current world. We all could use more tranquility and relaxation in our day and meditation is an excellent way to achieve both of those in one activity. Below I have included a few meditations I thought would be helpful while we are all trying to cope at home with our new normal.

Meditation can be done anywhere, anytime!

I really enjoy Yoga With Adriene videos and encourage you to check out some more of them on her YouTube channel. The first one is a 14 minute meditation for anxiety that I thought may be helpful to those of us who may be a bit more on the anxious side than normal. Don’t worry if you can’t do the whole thing, just do the best you can and don’t judge yourself.

This second video is a meditation for mental balance and grounding, which I feel we could all use some more of right about now, don’t you think? This one is a bit longer than the first video and as with the previous video, if you can’t do the whole thing, don’t worry. Doing your best in this moment is all any of us can do, so give yourself some room for compassion. We are all doing the best we can in these turbulent times. Give it a try, it just may be the thing you have been looking for to bring you some peace and calm in your day.

As you start to practice you will gradually begin to see the benefits meditation can have in your life. From reducing stress and anxiety to helping you be more empathetic, it has a wide range of positive effects, one of which is improving our overall well being. Take some time to find a comfy spot in your home and try one of these meditations or another you may already have in mind today! We all need to find new and creative ways of keeping our spirits and positivity up and that doesn’t have to be complicated. Whether it be getting out for a walk in your neighborhood, doing a work out routine in your living room in front of your dog, or just simply meditating, there are plenty of ways to take care of your physical and mental self. Paying attention to your body’s signals and your thoughts are key to managing stress an anxiety and meditation can help with that. Give it a try and see if you find your zen! I hope that these videos help you start a mediation routine that works for you and brings you more peace, balance and positivity to your life.

Please remember to wash your hands, stay home if you can and practice social distancing to protect the most vulnerable among us.

I am writing this blog to be helpful to you all out there during this turbulent time and am looking for your feedback. So, please feel free to leave your comments, questions and suggestions under the Contact Me tab at the top of the page. You can subscribe to this blog by clicking on the Subscribe button in the lower right corner. Just enter your email address and receive Self-Care Corner in your inbox every morning! Isn’t that wonderful?

In addition, you can now find Self-Care Corner on Twitter @selfcarecorners, where I will be posting daily affirmations and ways to cope with these changing times. I hope this will help others feel less alone, more relaxed and more empowered to practice self-care.