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Meditation 101: 5 Ways to Relax and Refocus Today

Thinking about becoming more spiritually sound? One way to increase your mindfulness is through meditation, a brilliant method for improving focus, promoting peacefulness and rebooting. Even better: You can start practicing right now.

Establish a Power Posture

Meditation isn’t yoga, so don’t feel like you need to adhere to specific poses (unless you want to!). Sitting cross-legged works just fine, but if you prefer the guidance of a chair, that’s perfectly acceptable. What’s essential, however, is sitting tall, aligning your head, neck and spine toward the ceiling.

Pick a Mantra

A mantra should not only steady your breathing and calm your thoughts, but also focus your meditation practice. “So hum” is Sanskrit for “I am that”, and is a classic favored by beginners. However, any phrase that aligns with your breathing and is easily repeatable will be effective.

Let it Go

Surely lots of thoughts will be clamoring for your brain’s attention, threatening to ruin your serene meditation time (What should I make for dinner? When was the last time I cleaned the gutter?), but the best way to handle it is to let them intrude. Don’t resist your brain’s natural tendency to wander; the chaos will soon dissipate if you continue to breath steadily and repeat your mantra.

Keep it Short

There’s no need to carve out a huge chunk of your day. For beginners, Psychology Today suggests beginning with just 5- to 10-minute increments. Moreover, if you adhere to these short, peaceful sessions, you’re more likely to stick with it on a long-term basis.

Call in the Experts

Tapping into your Zen space doesn’t mean you need to abandon technology. There are plenty of super-helpful meditation apps that will keep you motivated, monitor your progress, and help you create your own guided meditations.

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Sponsor content is created for IBX by Philadelphia magazine as a marketing collaboration with IBX. This material is intended for reference and information only and should not be used in place of advice from a doctor or suitable qualified healthcare professionals.