With today's heavy workloads and busy lifestyles, it's no wonder our minds are cluttered.
Stress, anxiety and depression are just a few of the many issues caused by this overload.
One of the easiest and least harmful ways to reduce, or eliminate this clutter is through meditation.
For thousands of years, people have been practicing meditation. Long before there was a need to "unplug from the world"; as you frequently see mentioned today.
While meditation is often thought of as a spiritual practice, it's also very much a practical practice. Regular meditation aids in self-development and personal growth.
Because it involves focus and self-discipline, it has been reported to enhance performance for athletes and top business executives.
It reduces stress, promotes healing, improves sleep, encourages mindfulness, reduces pain and eliminates anxiety.
With inner peace and more self-awareness, you become calmer, grounded and more level headed.
You become more conscious and present in life. You become more connected with your surroundings; the people, the things and the world around you.
If done correctly, meditation can help clear a path for you to achieve your life goals. Meditation taps into the subconscious; the same source you get your intelligence and inspiration from.
The more you practice, the easier it will become to access your subconscious mind, finding more insight and new and better ideas.
One great thing about meditation is it can be done anywhere, any time and at no cost. You can do it at home, at work, in a waiting room, while taking a taxi, subway or bus.
You can do it in the morning, evening or on your lunch break. It can be done for 10 minutes, 30 minutes or even longer... but it doesn't have to. Start with meditating just a couple minutes each day and slowly work your way up to what feels comfortable to you.
Keeping a meditation journal will help you be more aware of what is going on with you. It will help you be present or "in the moment";. It can help you understand where you've been and where you are going.
A meditation journal will help you clarify your thoughts. It allows you to look back as you progress into more consciousness. It will help you recognize things about yourself that you may not have known previously.
Journaling can help you set goals, find solutions to problems and develop a stronger sense of where you want to go and how you're going to get there.
While you may want to journal every day before or after you meditate, if you only have time to write one or two times a week, that's okay.
Journaling can be done in a variety of ways, from casual writing to structured styles with categories, checklists and more. To get you started, let's focus on the casual journal style.
This style allows you to write as much or as little as you want. If you're pressed for time, not feeling well or just don't have a lot of thoughts one day, just jot down a few sentences. If one day, you feel like writing more, go for it.
Be sure to include a date and title with each entry.
Remember, the journal is to help you gain more perspective on yourself, your thoughts, feelings and your practice. It's not meant to be a bestselling novel so don't worry about being meticulous.
About the Author: The creator of this Journal, Alun Hill, is the owner of 32 profitable business.
He has long credited a large part of his success to Journal keeping.
By following his notes and advice, you too can emulate this success.
If you would like further training or help, his website at AlunHill.com offers his free 70 page monthly magazine, showing many ways to improve your income and lifestyle.
The newsletter contains no adverts or affiliate links etc - just independent, usable, advice and help.
His many courses on setting up and running small businesses, asking "Would An Extra $1,000 A Month Help You?", are available at Tetmo.com.
These have already sold over 250,000 copies, worldwide.
Alun can be emailed at alun@alunhill.com.
