The word ‘meditation’ may conjure up visions of statue-like posing for hours on end, with whale music playing in the background accompanied by the occasional clang of an ancient bell. Sound familiar? Think again.

If you’ve never tried meditation before, now might just be the perfect time to try something new.

Meditation can take many different forms but essentially you are allowing yourself to step away from life’s many distractions and stresses and instead focus on a calmer and more relaxed version of you. Using meditation techniques, such as mindfulness, is scientifically proven to have positive mental and physical effects when practiced regularly. Some of the key benefits of meditation include:

• Helping with anxiety
• Reducing stress
• Reducing distractions

If you are not sure where to begin, there are many apps available to help get you started:

Headspace

What is Headspace? Headspace is a global leader in mindfulness and meditation through its app and online content offerings, making meditation simple. Their online resource includes many free options, and covers everything from meditation for beginners, to different mediation techniques and even covers mindful eating.

Headspace and Nike+ Run Club app

Headspace App   Running Meditation

Why not incorporate mindfulness into your daily dose of exercise? Headspace partnered with Nike to provide audio guided running meditations within the Nike Run Club app. There are 15 Headspace guided meditations for running that you can try out for free. Simply go to the ‘Guided Runs’ tab in the Nike Run Club app and scroll to the ‘Run With Headspace’ section. There, you can explore a variety of runs to help connect your mind and body. Give your next run a shake-up and discover a different way of meditation!

I am a regular user of the guided runs on the Nike+ Run Club app and really can’t recommend them enough. Have a look at a previous blog post covering everything you need to know about them here.

MindUP for families and children

MindUP teaches children about key parts of the brain to help them develop the critical knowledge and skills they need to strengthen their mental health and emotional wellbeing through increased self-awareness, self-regulation and social and emotional competencies. Have a look at a range of free mindful activities and resources designed for children here.

View Activities

Apps aimed at improving your mental health

Click here for a list of seven of the ‘Best Mental Health Apps of 2020’ from Verywell Mind, an online resource with the aim of helping improve mental wellbeing.