Why Meditation? A counselor weighs in on its benefits and shares how to get started.

I'm thrilled to share this collaboration. I've teamed up with Jennifer Slingerland Ryan Ph.D., LPC-S to promote a holistic approach to mental health and wellness both on and off the mat. Let me introduce you to Jennifer, a counselor who has been in private practice for over 15 years and owner of IChooseChange. She has a passion for helping people and has dovetailed her clinical work with other forms of wellness including self-care rituals, meditation, mindfulness, yoga and even nature. Join us as she schools us on the "why" behind meditation and how to make it part of our self-care routine.

“Calm The Core Down!” There is a lot of evidence that meditation can lower blood pressure, regulate heart rate , and alleviate chronic pain. It reduces stress levels, boosts your immune system , and helps you sleep. Meditation is therapeutic in many ways. Not only can it quiet your jumbled, hyper-thinking brain, but it can also increase awareness of what is happening inside your body in the present . Meditation helps you calm your core . If you've ever attempted silence for even five minutes, you've probably noticed that your insides are running sprints, making it hard to slow down your pace. Your body is rushing most of the day, and it's this low-grade stress that creates chronic health issues over time. Meditation is a way to calm and quiet your insides; furthermore, they remain calm even after you've stopped meditating . Meditation is much like hitting the "reset" button of your body. It's like when you haven't shut down your computer in a while, and you have 23 tabs open at the same time. You're toggling between all of them thinking of multiple things at once. When you close all your tabs, shut down the computer and step away for a moment, you feel refreshed after taking a deep breath and creating some physical distance. Powering the computer back on, the processor is less sluggish, and you feel more refreshed starting on one project once again, as opposed to multiple at one time. Meditation helps hit the power button on the core of your body and mind, so you can feel refreshed and start anew.  Here is a simple strategy Jenn suggests if you’d like to start meditating: Week 1️⃣: Focus on breathing deeply for 5 minutes every day. Week 2️⃣: Use guided meditation for 10 minutes every day. Week 3️⃣: Use guided meditation for 20 minutes every day. Week 4️⃣: Use silent meditation for 15 minutes every day. Week 5️⃣: Deepen your practice with silent meditation for 20 or more minutes every day.

Get in touch with Jennifer jennifer@ichoosechange.com or 214.547.1318

Link below for a 5 minute meditation for peace. Start small somewhere and let it be easy, sweet yogis.

All our love,

Sarah & Jenn