Be Happier and Healthier Using Breathing Meditation

If you want to be happier and healthier you should start by trying to be less negative first. What I mean by that is you have to stop feeling bad all the time. Many of us have this underlying discontented feeling that we allow to be there. This is sometimes connected to a belief most people create that says "things are bound to turn out poorly."
Your first step to being a more satisfied and happier person will be to remove that underlying unhappiness which will in turn reduce your stress levels.

A lot of people are able to significantly reduce this feeling by simply acknowledging its existence. You should try it now. Find that place in your mind that is making you feel uncomfortable and stop it. You may not feel amazing yet but this is a good first start.

Another exercise that can help you to reduce that underlying feeling of discontentment is to meditate. Many of you reading this may not be familiar with meditation and may think that it is some strange new age practice having to do with crystals and spiritual beings.
In fact modern science has shown in studies that meditation has a beneficial effect on people's overall health and life satisfaction. If you have high blood pressure or stress your doctor may actually recommend meditation. A study performed at Harvard University several years ago showed some medicinal benefits of meditating for as little as ten minutes at a time.

In an article published by the Washington Post in 2005 they reported that meditation could enable someone to "rewire" their mind. They likened it to an athlete practicing a sport. The more practice one gets the better they become at what they practice. So if someone was to meditate on calm tranquility, contentment, or happiness it makes it easier for them to get to that place in their minds.

So what does this mean for you? It means that if you want to feel happier than you should relax. If you think more money or love will solve your problems there are studies that show the opposite is true. Money or love will be much easier to acquire if you are able to believe in yourself and comfort yourself without them.

There are several meditation techniques that you can try. The simplest method for beginners is counting your breaths. First find a quiet spot away from distractions. Next set a timer on your alarm clock or phone for how long you want to meditate. I'd recommend five or ten minutes just to start with and eventually move up to fifteen minutes.

You should situate yourself in a position that's comfortable enough to maintain for several minutes. You should try sitting instead of lying down so you'll be less likely to fall asleep, cross legged is traditional but not necessary. Next all you have to do is count your breaths.

Simply inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Focus all of your attention on your breathing. Count one when breathing in and count two when you breathe out. Work your way up to ten and start over again until your timer goes off. If this is easy for you then move on to counting your inhale and exhale as one breathe going up to ten.

A problem that you may encounter is that you could find yourself getting distracted by other thoughts. You may start thinking of all of the things that you want to do today. A lot of items will pop into your head to distract you but just try and remember to bring your focus back to your breathing.

You shouldn't be concerned if you can't make it to ten on your first try. Many people can't. You shouldn't judge your meditation, just let it be. Just like any kind of exercise you may be pretty rusty at first but with persistence you will improve yourself.

There are many resources to improve your level of contentment and lower your stress. You can find many websites and books that will help you. Some books that I recommend for changing your thoughts are "The Tao of Pooh" by Benjamin Hoff and "A New Earth" by Eckhart Tolle. Both of these books have been best sellers and are probably available at your local library. There are a lot of resources out there but you are the only one that can make yourself happier. Feel free to take what you need from the advice of others and ignore what doesn't help you.