KILLEEN, Texas — At Life Moves Yoga in Killeen, meditation is a huge part of every class.
"Meditation is all about getting still, getting quiet and settling the mind. And you can do that in a lot of different ways," says owner Beth Funk.
She began meditating several years ago and now does it every morning and night.
For beginners, it can be pretty intimidating.
Funk says to start, focus on what you do every day: breathing.
“It’s this concentration and focus on the breath that seems to be so powerful for people. This is really where they begin to connect to meditating."
First, find a comfortable position, sitting or lying down, close your eyes and focus on inhaling and exhaling.
“Starting to become present in the moment, starting to quiet the mind enough to actually be where you are when you're there. Start to notice what direction the mind is going, where the thoughts are going. When the mind starts to wander you say, ‘ah I'm in worrying phase’ and you come back and you think inhale and exhale," Funk said.
If you can't quiet your mind in the beginning, Funk says that’s okay. "You're not unsuccessful at meditation because you can’t empty your mind. The meditation is the process of seeing where the mind goes and then come back."
So why should you meditate?
Studies have shown meditation helps relax you, can lower blood pressure and heart rate, improve blood circulation, lessen anxiety and reduce stress hormones. It can also decrease feelings of depression, improve your sleep and give you more energy.
"So really powerful reasons to incorporate it into your life. But unless you've tried it and you actually experience the benefits it’s hard to talk yourself into it! But once you're doing it you know how good you feel when you’re doing it and that brings you back to the practice over and over again."
It doesn't take a lot of time to get started. Funk says it can boil down to just one minute a day. “The practice isn’t about beating yourself up and saying ‘I can’t do it right. I can’t do it long enough’ just try it just do it. When we think about meditation as being that simple it doesn't seem unattainable."
For more information on meditation, visit Life Moves Yoga’s website.