I began practicing meditation as a form of mindfulness in 2018, after almost experiencing physician burnout. Initially, the act of sitting still, focusing my energy, and deep breathing was a bit difficult.  This was a practice I was not use to. After a few weeks of 5 and 10 minute guided meditations, I gained a rhythm. I recently read that mindfulness helps reduce the risk of physician burnout. I must agree that my meditation practice has helped reduce my stress level, especially since I’m working on the frontlines of this pandemic. In this blog post, I’m sharing mindfulness resources for the entire family.

My daughter, Asha, has also joined in on my meditation practice. Sometimes she sits still, other times she jumps around then plops down on her yoga mat.

We typically start out by finding a quiet place to sit.  Then move onto our breathing exercises and play a guided meditation (via an app). Sometimes, we complete our session by reciting positive affirmations.

 

Benefits of Meditation:

  • Proper management of stress, anxiety, and depression
  • Increases positive emotion by freeing the mind from negative thinking
  • Helps decrease blood pressure and heart rate
  • Improves ability to introspect, focus, and attention
  • Helps with better sleep
  • Increases social connection and emotional intelligence
  • Improves happiness and general wellbeing
  • Makes someone more creative in daily life
  • Improves relationships and bonding

Mindfulness Resources for the Entire Family

Here are some resources that I have found helpful with my meditation practices.

Books:

Asha and I enjoy reading,  “Breathe“, a children’s mindfulness book by Julia Mallory. This is one of Asha’s favs.

Asha posing with the author, Julia Mallory, at her book signing

 

Meditation in a Time of Madness: A Guidebook for Talented Tweens, Teens, Their Parents & Guardians Who Need to Thrive by Dr. Carol Penn

Practical Meditation for Beginners: 10 Days to a Happier, Calmer You by Benjamin W. Decker

Practicing Mindfulness: 75 Essential Meditations to Reduce Stress, Improve Mental Health, and Find Peace in the Everyday by Matthew Sockolov

Apps for Guided Meditation:

For anyone who wants to do a guided meditation, I recommend trying out any of these apps:

Headspace (Explore guided exercises, videos, and more to help you get healthier and happier.)

Liberate (This is the #1 meditation app for the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color community). This is my personal favorite. I love the sessions guided by Ruth King.

Shine (The daily Self Care App for all of us)

Calm (Previously named the #1 App of the Year by Apple, Calm is a game-changer for those in need of peace.)

Insight Timer (More meditation is practiced on Insight Timer than anywhere else, and the app has 10 or more free guided meditations added every day. )

Breethe (Learn how to de-stress and sleep better in just 5 minutes a day with a personal mindfulness coach.)

Simple Habit (For even the busiest person, meditation can become a daily practice thanks to Simple Habit)

INSCAPE (INSCAPE is an all-purpose meditation app for a variety of scenarios where you may just want to stop and breathe.)

 

Podcasts:

Meditation Minis by Chelsea Hamilton – These 10 minutes guided meditations are great for busy people or people on the go.

The OneMind Podcast by Morgan Dix – Through Dix’s warm and welcoming styles, beginners feel at ease to explore different ways to apply mindfulness and meditation to their day.

The Mindful Minute Podcast by Meryl Arnett – Takes you through simple and concise guided meditations that allow you to get out of your head (and your way) while learning how to live in the moment.

 

Other:

If you are someone who likes your meditation to be guided, you can pair it with nature sounds in the background. Several free videos are there providing tranquil nature sounds on YouTube. I particularly enjoy the relaxing feeling when listening to the cozy sound of rain.

Click here to find my favorite meditation items on Amazon.

xoxoxoxo,

Dr. Gina Charles