This week I am showcasing another highly successful friend of mine, April Meyers. April Meyers, a huge advocate of embracing the mind-body connection, learned first-hand – for better and for worse – how intimately they’re connected. She teaches yoga full time to help her students nurture both their physical and emotional health, and she created Mind Body Health Solution to support people far and wide in their wellness journey. Read more about her on https://www.mindbodyhealthsolution.com/about-april/ I am very honored that she agreed to write a blog post for Mara Prose Monday. Enjoy!!

It is no secret that COVID-19 involves various stressors. No matter where you live or the particulars of your situation, you no doubt have new tasks, worries and fears to deal with daily. The magnitude of the changes and far-reaching effects of a pandemic brings with it a good deal of anxiety.

That’s where mindfulness, meditation and prayer come into play. Taking time to slow down and center your mind, body and soul helps you deal with stress effectively and provides peace of mind. The following tips can help, brought to you courtesy of author Mara Prose.

Get Started

If you are new to these reflection and relaxation techniques, do not be intimidated. You can begin today:

• Start small. You do not have to meditate for hours. Start with a brief amount of time and build up to a more extended session.
• Be consistent. Choose a scheduled time of day to develop a mindfulness habit.
• Get an app. Many guided meditation apps are available to help you understand how it works; We Know Yoga suggests trying Calm or Headspace. If you are partial to Spotify, Mara recommends the Calm Piano Meditation playlist.

Create a Meditation Space

Find a space in your home that you can dedicate to these practices. Creating a positive and refreshing space helps you focus on your thoughts without distractions, melting your stress away. Cleaning and de-cluttering the rest of your home reduces anxiety levels, too. Open the windows from time to time to let in the fresh air and enjoy your vibrant, peaceful home. If your space is noisy, add background music to promote your focus. Essential oils can help with your relaxation and mood as well. 

Tune Out the Chatter

When events are stressful, BPHope points out it’s all too easy to get caught in a loop of negative thoughts. This endless circle of processing your worries can keep you in a sour or anxious emotional state and reduce your ability to make decisions regarding your health and well-being.

Practicing mindfulness with meditation enables you to process your concerns without dwelling on them. Then, you can take action to address issues with your choices. Responding reduces the doomsday chain of thoughts because you actively solve your problems rather than simply reacting emotionally.

Relieve Anxiety

Meditation helps alleviate anxiety and manage stress levels. This technique requires that you stay in the present moment, preventing you from getting stuck in a speculative future or ruminating over the past. It allows you to accept your current emotions and understand they are perfectly expected, given the world’s circumstances amid a pandemic.

Identifying that your feelings are normal and valid gives you the capability to accept things you cannot change and move forward with those you can do something about. If you struggle to maintain perspective, you might find it helpful to add a daily devotional subscription to your inbox for a gentle reminder of God’s power and provision. Understanding that you can only control your responses to situations can prevent you from getting caught up in your worries. 

Boost Your Immune System

Studies show that meditation can strengthen your immune system by positively affecting lymphocytes, white blood cells that produce antibodies. It also reduces your body’s inflammatory response, helping you relax faster after stressful situations.

Better Emotional Health

Meditation can improve your self-image and create a more positive outlook, alleviating symptoms of depression and anxiety. People have fewer negative thoughts after completing a centering exercise.

Another benefit of these focus methods is the ability to become more self-aware. Knowing yourself helps you identify self-defeating or harmful thoughts, directing you to more productive thinking patterns. This process improves your self-efficacy, resulting in active problem-solving rather than self-sabotaging reactions.

Build Your Mind-Body Connection

Combining mindfulness thinking with yoga creates acceptance of your experiences, reducing your stress, pain and depression. Recognizing the mind-body connection helps you understand and address both physical and emotional issues at once. Your physical health impacts the state of your mind, just as your thoughts and feelings affect your biological functioning.

Meditation has many advantages for both your mind and body. If you already practice mindfulness techniques, it is essential to continue during the stress caused by COVID-19. If these methods are new to you, a pandemic is a perfect time to start a routine that can have lifelong benefits.
Connect with author Mara Prose for more information on living a healthy and fulfilling life or contact April directly at April Meyers at hello@mindbodyhealthsolution.com or visit her website www.mindbodyhealthsolution.com.

Until next time,

Mara Prose