Finally, a chance to slow down in the hustle and bustle of everyday life! We all know that regular meditation and mindfulness practices can be the key to a more relaxed here and now. But: We are all so different – everyone's personality traits, personal circumstances, and daily rhythms are incredibly individual. It's only natural, then, that the ways each of us can find our way to a more conscious, mindful everyday life and self-care are just as varied! There's no single path to a slower, more mindful everyday life. That's why we'd like to introduce you to the different types of meditation and certain exercises in more detail.
Becoming a mindful and self-contained person, living a life full of conscious actions and thoughts, letting stress simply roll off you – that sounds appealing to most people. But the journey to a balanced self is a path full of bumps, detours, and dead ends. Simply meditating at the push of a button or becoming mindful overnight is hardly possible. So the motto for now is: take baby steps and find practices and approaches that suit us.
Focus on the here and now: Meditation and mindfulness exercises
But why meditate at all? Meditation and mindfulness exercises help to find inner peace and focus on the here and now. In fact, the effects of meditation have been scientifically proven in numerous studies. Regular practice can have positive effects on the immune system, pain perception , and mental resilience, among other things. These effects are even measurable in the brain in some cases!
Practices for meditation and mindfulness: A brief overview
There are many different ways to meditate. Often they are quite similar, the transitions are fluid, or parallels can be drawn between the different types of meditation.
Perhaps the best-known is the traditional Buddhist Zazen meditation . In this practice, one usually sits in the lotus position, lowers one's gaze, and concentrates either on one's breath—or, indeed, tries to concentrate on nothing at all. That is to say, to be completely in the here and now. This state of "effortless presence" is one of the main goals of many meditation practices.
Similar to Zen meditation is Western-influenced mindfulness meditation . Here, too, the focus is on one's breath, and one simply lets one's thoughts drift by. The main goal of mindfulness meditation is stress reduction. It is very frequently used in clinics. You might also be familiar with mantra meditation . It is a Hindu tradition in which a syllable or several words, usually with a specific meaning, are repeatedly chanted. This focuses the mind and is meant to quiet racing thoughts. In this way, one can concentrate on the spoken mantra and not lose focus.
A component of many meditation practices is concentrated attention meditation . In this practice, one focuses all attention on a specific object, for example, one's own breath, a part of the body, an object (such as a candle flame), a sound, an activity, etc. This can also be very useful in everyday life when one notices that one is becoming very restless and wants to calm oneself down internally.
But how do you begin?
A practical way to get started is with guided meditation . There are special podcasts, apps, and YouTube videos available for this purpose. Their goal is to improve health or performance. These meditations are designed to be universal and are not tailored to individual personalities. It's possible that the previously mentioned effortless presence won't be achieved with these methods, as the voices can be distracting. On our Instagram account, you'll find a guided meditation by our lovely Franzi! She 'll take you on a meditation that focuses specifically on listening and is also suitable for beginners. Mindfulness meditation focuses on a non-judgmental inner attitude, being present in the moment, and compassion. So, make yourself comfortable, close your eyes, and simply listen. ✨
Yoga – the oldest form of meditation
Yoga is often reduced to purely physical practice, but asanas, the physical postures, are only a small part of yoga. There's a very broad range of different practices, mostly consisting of a combination of breathwork, postures, and mindfulness exercises. Did you know that asanas, the physical yoga practice we know from most studios, were originally intended to prepare the body for meditation? In an interview with the sustainable yoga brand Lotuscrafts, founder Wolfgang Wuchs explained, among other things, the role sustainability is playing in the yoga practice of more and more people.
One thing is clear: there are tons of different ways to meditate! What works great for one person might not work at all for another. If you find traditional methods a bit difficult at first, or if they just don't feel right, you can start with simple mindfulness exercises in your daily life.
It's actually quite simple.
Living mindfully doesn't necessarily mean meditating in the lotus position all day. It's really about one thing above all: arriving fully in the here and now . And we can integrate this into our daily lives in other ways, gradually approaching a more conscious way of living. It's important that we focus on just one thing for a while and don't let ourselves be distracted – by our smartphones or swirling thoughts. Ultimately, what we can all always return to is conscious breathing. Just close your eyes for a moment, give yourself three deep breaths, and feel how your belly gently rises and falls with each breath.
Our recommendations and tips for you
Within our team, we have often discussed how we can live more mindfully and have come up with very different ways and rituals for integrating regular breaks into our daily lives.
Regarding apps and websites, we can recommend gaia.com , as well as the apps "Calm" and "Headspace" ! But simply absorbing sensory impressions in nature, in the forest, or by the water can also help you find inner peace. There are also two podcasts we find excellent: the "A Mindful Mess" meditations by dariadaria on Spotify and the "Achtsam" podcast from Deutschlandfunk Nova . Many of us at MEuKis also practice yoga – sometimes even together during our lunch break at the office. The great thing is: all these rituals don't require much equipment, effort, or financial resources!
If you'd like some background music for your relaxation rituals or meditation sessions, we've also put together a small Spotify playlist with relaxing sounds for you. Take a deep breath, turn on the music, and tune out the world around you!
Be mindful – even at work
These islands of calm are incredibly important in everyday life – especially when working from home, routines with regular breaks often fall by the wayside. That's why it's so crucial to take time for yourself. Step outside, grab a cup of tea for a short break on the couch, practice yoga, or meditate. We have a range of products and tools, especially for yoga, meditation, and mindfulness, that can support you in your practice.
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