Meditation can be described in different ways depending on the context, but generally and in summary, meditation is about shifting focus from outwards towards the outside world to inwards towards your inner world. Meditation is a skill that we train - the ability to shift focus.

There are different ways to meditate, many associate meditation with sitting completely still in silence with your legs crossed and your eyes closed. There are other ways, such as guided meditation or walking meditation, dance meditation and other forms of moving meditation. I would like to encourage you to try, explore and experience different ways of meditating. We are all different, you should meditate for your own sake and need to find the way that suits you. You can of course choose to meditate in different ways on different occasions. Start from yourself, meditation is never about performance or valuation, what works for you works for you.

Effects of meditation

Meditation can:

• Reduce and prevent stress-related ill health
• Increase creativity
• Strengthen the ability to focus
• Strengthen the ability to shift focus
• Create perspective and distance to your thoughts and feelings
• Give you a deepened contact with your inner self and the experience of oneness and bliss

How do I meditate?

Start from the purpose - to shift focus. From the outside to the inside. From acting/reacting to your thoughts, to curiously listening to your thoughts, to stopping listening to your thoughts and when that happens you will experience something other than your thoughts. That's where you want to go. Let it be a process, each part has something to give.

Choose whether you want to meditate sitting still or moving, in silence or with guidance or music. Choose whether you want to begin your meditation with a ritual, such as incense (preferably Swedish by Juni Santo and Pino Santo), chanting a mantra or something else that helps you get ready for meditation.

Set a reasonable level of ambition (let go of achievement and achieving some specific goal) let it be a curious exploration. If meditation is completely new to you, start simple and for short periods, choose your method, decide before you start how long you will set aside (preferably set a timer). The appropriate time to start with is a few minutes and to make it a habit, preferably every day but own your meditation. Meditate in your way and for your sake.

The article is written by Camilla Dahlström, who works with both yoga and hypnotherapy. Do you also want to write an article for our platform? Email us!

"Braveheart.work is the current working name of my company where I offer yoga and hypnosis treatments in studio and reception in Karlstad or online. I have been teaching yoga since 2015 and trained in hypnosis and started offering hypnosis treatments in 2021. Yoga and hypnosis are amazing and powerful tools for personal development, inner healing and deeper understanding. My yoga classes always include a moment of meditation. If this piqued your interest, you are most welcome to read more on my website or contact me by email. "

- Camilla Dahlström

Tip! Do you want access to meditations and exercises to strengthen your intuition? Check out our online courses here!