Take a Break With These Meditation Resources
Meditation is an umbrella term for achieving an intense level of focus. Humans have been meditating in various ways for thousands of years, and research suggests there’s good reason why. Meditation can increase concentration, reduce stress, reduce anxiety and depression, improve physical health and help us become more resilient in our personal and professional lives.
If you’d like to dip your toe into meditation, try one of the free resources below. Don’t be afraid to try a few different approaches — some methods might click with you better than others. If meditation intimidates you, try starting with guided imagery meditation or a physical form of meditation like yoga or tai chi.
Mantra Meditation
Create deep focus by continuously chanting or mentally repeating a word or phrase.
- Learn to Meditate in 6 Easy Steps: https://chopra.com/articles/learn-to-meditate-in-6-easy-steps
- Silent Mantra Meditation — An Easy Introduction for Mantra Meditation Beginners: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHE1_Pyc-Gg
Guided Meditation
Create deep focus by using as many of your five senses as possible to anchor yourself in the moment.
- 15-minute Guided Imagery by Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35ch88kmlls
- 10-Minute Guided Imagery Meditation by City of Hope: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1rRo6cgM_E
- 4-Minute (yes, you do have time for this!) Guided Imagery for Relaxation by CHOC Children’s: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TywQETck8E
Mindfulness Meditation
Create deep focus by increasing your awareness of the moment. This method of meditation usually involves focusing on your breath.
- Free mindfulness meditation app by UCLA: https://www.uclahealth.org/marc/mindful-meditations
- Free, intensive mindfulness-based stress reduction course: https://palousemindfulness.com/
Physical Forms of Meditation
- Tai Chi for Beginners: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIOHGrYCEJ4
- Tai Chi With Helen Liang: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apIffYvzuS0
- 7-minute Meditation to Start Your Day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0PSUDvLi8E&list=PLui6Eyny-UzwiUzvhM2BjxThodiRWZ2JR&index=13
- 5-Minute Quick Yoga Stress Fix: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOfshreyu4w&list=PLui6Eyny-UzwiUzvhM2BjxThodiRWZ2JR&index=14
Check out this blog post and on-demand webinar for more practical steps HR pros can take to build resilience into work and life.
