Meditating is not easy. It’s not as simple as sitting on a pillow with your legs crossed and chanting “omm”. It is a mental discipline that requires a great deal of concentration.

Meditation comes with a myriad of well-publicized benefits such as decreased levels of stress and anxiety, improved clarity of mind and creativity and reduced depression risks.

If you are a beginner and you find it extremely difficult to sit for a few minutes or hours with a clear mind, read the most common approaches below to help you get started.

Mindfulness Meditation

This form of meditation is great for newbies because it is simple and completely feasible. The main goal of mindfulness meditation is to achieve a calm and stable mind. Continue reading →

Contrary to what many people believe in, meditation is not praying. Praying is conversing with God and meditation is more on focusing on something to achieve a calm state of mind.

The latter is especially beneficial for people who have a hard time falling and staying asleep. How so?

For starters, regular meditation (even if it’s just 30 minutes per day) can convert poor-quality sleep into a deeper, more refreshing sleep. And, many people who meditate before going to sleep say that they always wake up feeling more energized.

Additionally, meditating before bedtime allows you to sleep through the night and spend longer time in REM sleep. This stage of sleep is crucial to the mental capacity of the brain. If you are REM sleep deprived, you will retain less information. Continue reading →