Michelle Marie Health & Wellness

As the holiday season came and went, Lululemon launched a campaign encouraging people to “give presence.” The company encouraged people to put their phones away, communicate, and enjoy time with their friends and family without being distracted. This campaign really stuck with me. What exactly does “give presence” mean? When you take a step back and think about it; most of our days are consumed with to do lists, worrying and planning about future events or tasks, or dwelling on a past event. How often are you really just living in the present? The truth is probably not very often…

Living in the present and being in the present is hard to do in this day and age with so much technology and the ability to be so easily distracted. I took this campaign as an opportunity to challenge myself to try to enjoy the little moments in life more; take time to relax, reflect, and truly connect with those around me day to day without distraction. This challenge has led me to finding ways to take a few moments in each day to really bring myself back to the present. My two favorite ways are to journal and to do simple meditation. Both techniques relax and reset my body and mind.

Meditation has amazing health benefits and many researchers say it is something everyone should do daily, even if it is only for a few minutes.  Studies show that meditation can improve a variety of psychological areas; including stress, anxiety, addiction, depression, eating disorders and cognitive function. Meditation can also reduce blood pressure, pain response, stress hormone levels, boost your immune system and strengthen your cellular health. Meditation shouldn’t be scary or intimidating at all. It can be as easy as taking a deep breaths and closing your eyes for a few minutes.

Check out this great article via MindBodyGreen that gives you six easy ways to do simple meditations.