By: Savannah Walker, Master Level Clinical Intern 1/8/2025

What is Meditation REALLY?

When people think of meditation, they may have a variety of images that come to mind, many of them include someone sitting crisscross with their eyes closed and maybe humming. Meditation has become a bit of a buzzword in our society and wellness culture, but what does it truly mean to meditate? Why is meditation good for us?

I decided to explore the benefits of meditation a couple of years ago during a time when I felt constantly stressed. I wanted to increase my stress tolerance and feel calmer and more peaceful. I can honestly say that it has changed how I approach stress and anxiety. It helped me realize that I have the power to calm down my mind and body no matter where I am at or what I am experiencing. I learned that meditation at its core is the practice of focused attention and awareness to cultivate a calm and clear mind. It’s about training the mind to focus, be mindful and grounded among an otherwise chaotic world we live in. Whether you are seeking stress relief, better focus, or a deeper connection with yourself or your surroundings, meditation can be an excellent option for you.

The Basics of Meditation

At its very core, meditation is simply focusing your attention to foster more awareness in your thoughts, emotions, and surroundings in the present moment. Here are some foundational tips to help you get started:

Types of Meditation

There are several kinds of meditation. Here are a few that I recommend to everyone. Don’t worry about doing all of these at once. Pick the one that feels best for you if you are looking to get started. If you’re not sure where to begin, I highly recommend guided meditation.

Mindfulness Meditation: Focusing on the present moment, often though breath awareness, while observing thoughts and feelings without judgement.

Guided Meditation: Following spoken instructions from a teacher or recording, often involving visualization or relaxation techniques. I recommend this option for beginners due to the recording guiding you through the process. It’s a great option whether it is your first time, or you have a long history with mediation.

Transcendental Meditation: This sounds fancy, but it is a basic technique of repeating a mantra (a word or phrase).

Movement Meditation: This includes practices like yoga where you are grounded through the movements.

The Importance of Breathing

I tend to get passionate about breathing. Think about the times you have been startled or scared, you probably were holding your breath or breathing very shallow in your chest. That is great for times when your adrenaline is activated. However, many of us were never taught to breath deeply. When meditating, you should do deep diaphragmic breathing. This is where you breathe deep from your diaphragm, expanding your stomach. Your shoulders should not be moving with your breathing. This deep breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system- the system that tells your body to rest and recover. That’s why deep breathing can help you feel calm or even fight off a panic attack!

Common Myths

Myth: Meditation is about clearing your mind completely

The goal is to focus your attention. When your mind wonders (notice that I didn’t say if), you notice without judgment and bring your attention back.

Myth: You need to sit in silence for hours for effective meditation

Meditation is flexible, you can even try walking meditations or take a quick 3–5-minute meditation during the day. Short meditations can be effective- you do not have to meditate for long periods of time.

Myth: Meditation is only for religious or spiritual people.

Meditation can be spiritual, but it is also widely practiced as a secular activity for improving mental and physical health.

Myth: You have to be in a perfectly quiet, serene space to meditate.

Meditation can be done anywhere! Meditation is about finding the calm amongst the chaos, whatever your environment is.

Myth: Meditation is a quick fix for all problems.

Meditation is likely to make you feel calm right away, but many benefits also come overtime with practice.

Helpful Tools

There are many helpful tools that you can use in your meditation practice. Here are a few that I recommend, but there are plenty out there so feel free to search for one that works best for you.

Apps:

Headspace

Calm

Superhuman

YouTube Channels:

SELF

The Honest Guys

Yoga with Adrienne

Podcast:

Mindful in Minutes

Guided Meditation

To Wrap it Up

Meditation has many useful benefits that can help with your mental health. Additionally, some research points to meditation possibly being beneficial for physical ailments such as asthma, high blood pressure, sleep problems, and even irritable bowel syndrome and more. To start, I recommend starting with small 5-minute meditations. Consistency is more important than perfection with meditating. While you practice, remain curious- there are so many wonderful ways to meditate as you continue your practice. I encourage you to give it a shot, and if you have any questions, feel free to talk with your clinician or schedule an appointment.

Happy Meditating!

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