Being able to switch off after a busy day or a stressful week is often a challenge; after all, it’s not something that we’re ever taught how to do! Carrying around negative and stressed out thoughts when you should be taking it easy can affect your self-esteem, sleep patterns and even relationships. However, it doesn’t have to be this way. Taking time out of your week to be mindful, practising yoga, and meditate can truly help to reduce feelings of stress and anxiety, and maintain physical and mental health. What’s more, such activities is something you can do almost anywhere, anytime, whenever you feel the need to press the reset button. Let’s draw attention on five tips on how you can improve your yoga and meditation experience.

Pay Attention To Your Surroundings

When you start to meditate or practise yoga, you should prepare your surroundings before you start. Make sure that the room you are in (if you are not outside) is not too hot or too cold, completely quiet, or include relaxing music – whatever works for you. A calm room that isn’t too hot, maybe with the window open if you can, is the best for this to help you stay in the meditative mindset.

If you are outside, make sure there is nothing under your mat or what you are sitting on (for obvious reasons), and you are in a quiet place where people aren’t going to walk in and interrupt you. You don’t want to find yourself distracted by your surroundings when you are trying to get into that headspace.

Pick The Right Outfit

For the same reason, you need to be sure that your environment is not going to become a distraction and do the same with your outfit of choice. Yoga outfits are normally leggings and tight tops so that they don’t get in the way when you perform certain poses.

However, when doing meditation, it is important to remember that you are going to be still for an extended period. For this reason, it is crucial to make sure that your clothes are comfortable and that your clothes are not going to become a distraction. Alternatively, you could always meditate or do yoga sky-clad. There are many recognised benefits of meditating sky-clad including; boosting your self-confidence, diminish feelings of shame, increase libido and allows your skin to breathe.

Consider Using Natural Aids

Some people prefer to use different remedies to help stay calm, focused and centred in their meditation such as essential oils, a fragranced candle, or CBD products.

Cannabidiol, better known as CBD, has proven effects on the body and mind, mainly being an effective pain reliever for both muscular and nerve pain, as well as being great for relieving anxiety, aiding focus and concentration and promoting restful sleep.

What’s more, many people have made the change to using CBD oil from supplements as there is a much lower to no effect on the liver, kidneys and stomach as main painkillers and sleeping pills have negative effects and can’t be used long term.

Take Your Time

It is often the case that if you get distracted or can’t accurately do a certain pose, that you give up and don’t try again. It is completely okay not to be a master right away, as it can take years of practice to meditate or do a yoga flow perfectly.

All you need to remember is to take your time, if you break focus or can’t slow your thoughts, go back to focusing on your breathing, thinking the words in and out as you breathe. This helps to take your mind back to being focused on your body and helps to ground you again. If you aren’t able to do a pose in a flow, just amend it to be something you can do that uses similar muscle groups as the original one.

Relax

Enjoy the feeling of relaxation. It is easy to feel like we need to rush and get on to something else. However, it is essential just to let the feeling in your body and mind and take time for yourself. You can set a timer if you have a set amount of time you wish to be meditating for. Try changing the alarm sound to something that gradually gets louder rather than something that can startle you.

It is important to remember that you were just in a different mental state and that you need to allow yourself to come back to normality after your practice. It is recommended that you do not drive or use machinery for an hour after you have meditated or practised yoga.

You should remain sitting for a while, get something to drink, maybe some fruit or something containing sugar to help return your resting heart rate to your normal as it often drops while in meditation. Also, you might feel cold after meditation, so wrap up for a while as you read a book or scroll through your phone. After an hour or so you can go about your daily life and enjoy the wonderful effects of yoga and meditation practises!