Meditation is a tool we can use for many things, and weight loss is one of them. I can’t say that meditation will directly help you lose weight, but the compound effect of all the benefits will assist you in making healthier decisions in all parts of your life, which will help you lose unwanted weight.
Meditation is proven to help lower stress, decrease anxiety, promote positive physical and emotional health, improve sleep, and help boost your self-esteem. It can also assist in renewing your energy, improve your mindset, and create a strong connection between your mind, body and soul. You exercise your body. Meditation helps exercise your mind.
Is Stress Making You Overweight?
If that question resonates, most likely your stress levels could be causing your body to hold onto unwanted weight. Think about it like this… our body’s fight or flight response is triggered when we are in stressful situations. And when our body is always in fight or flight it does not feel safe or secure. Therefore, it doesn’t know what to expect or in animal terms, it doesn’t know when the next meal may come. So it’s response is to store and hold onto fat.
One of the main benefits of a daily meditation (even just a 5 minute meditation) is lowering stress levels. When you think about all the things that have occurred in the last 24 hours for you, do they feel stressful? Is your life, as a whole, stressed out? Or are you able to go with the flow and not let things trigger you on a constant basis? Our society is built on stress and fear, so you are not alone in living a stress filled life.
If stress is a cause for being overweight, let’s work to de-stress our lives! The first step to lowering stress, is to commit to a 5 minute meditation each and every day. My advice is to try it for at least 14 days in a row so you can see and feel the benefits of having a regular meditation practice.
Meditation is Available to Everyone
You don’t need to ‘zen’ to meditate. You get ‘zen’ through meditation! So if you keep telling yourself that you’re not a meditator because you just aren’t calm enough to sit for 5 or 10 minutes, then that’s a sure sign you need to meditate! Meditation is something everyone can do to improve their mental and emotional health and lower overall stress. You can meditate anywhere that helps you relax and feel calm.
How to Meditate
It’s much simpler than you think (we always overcomplicate things!). Meditation can happen in many ways – when you are walking in nature, when you are in the shower, when you are doing yoga, when you are making art, even when you are washing the dishes. If you are looking to meditate in the traditional seated way, here’s how…
Find a comfortable seat with a straight back in a quiet and calming environment. It’s important to pick a place where you feel safe and won’t be interrupted. Close your eyes and your mouth. Now, pay attention to your body and your mind. Yes, thoughts will come up. Let them come and let them pass through. The whole point is to sit quietly for at least 5 minutes. Focus on your breath, deep inhales and slow exhales to relax your body. I promise the more frequently you do this, the easier it will get and the faster the 5 or 10 minutes will pass.
If you prefer to have someone guide you through a meditation, that is called a guided meditation and many times helps you ‘drop in’ to your ‘zen’ space. I use the guided meditations on Beachbody on Demand, which is also the platform I use for my daily workouts, so it’s easy for me to add meditation into my daily morning routine!
The Relaxation & Meditation Series on Beachbody On Demand includes some incredible guided meditations like Meditation for a Busy Mind, Hypnosis for Weight Loss, Back to Sleep, Melting Stress Away, Meditation for Athletes, Insomnia Relief Meditation and many more are always being added to the platform.
You can get a 14 day free trial to Beachbody On Demand, if you aren’t already a member, to unlock access to these amazing meditations! Remember my advice to commit to 14 days in order to see and feel the benefits of meditations? Try my favorite guided meditations for 14 days for FREE with this trial offer.
Meditation for Weight Loss
If you are serious about changing your lifestyle and creating healthier habits, consider making meditation part of your new lifestyle. It may help you lose weight because you will connect more deeply with your body, you will give your body a safe place to relax, you will lower your overall daily stress and you will start to stabilize your emotional body. All of these benefits lead to weight loss. So if you are carrying unwanted weight, I highly recommend getting a Beachbody On Demand membership for the meditation and for the workouts – there is something for every body! And the best part is, it’s only $99 for an annual subscription!!!
