Feeling calm and balanced is our natural state of mind. But most of us don’t know how to shake the stressors of daily life. Fight or flight is a trigger response in our nervous system that is supposed to alert us of danger — it was never meant to run continuously. Keeping this system alert at all times can lead to anxiety, depression, headaches, digestive problems, sleep problems, and weight gain amongst a few. 

When we are stressed, an altered gut microbial population damages and creates an imbalance amongst the neurotransmitters moderated by the microbiome and gut barrier function. Meditation regulates this stress response, and helps maintain a healthy gut-barrier function by suppressing chronic inflammation.

Making meditation a part of your daily routine, even only five minutes, can help your health a great deal. There are plenty of meditation techniques out there, you might prefer guided over unguided, or are seeking an answer instead of a state of calm. Just like with an exercise routine, you just have to find the kind that works best for you.

Here are a 5 different meditation techniques to try:

1. Breathe focused attention is a type of meditation where you use your breathe to focus on the present moment. Whenever you notice your mind starting to wander, re-focus on your breathe. 

2. Body scan meditation is a technique that aims to sync your body and mind by slowly moving your attention to each body part (from head to toe) and bringing attention to any areas of discomfort, tension and aches in your body.

3. Noting is a meditation technique where you sit in silence and simply notice what thoughts enter your mind. This creates an awareness around any distracting thoughts or feelings, which makes it a great technique for learning and letting go of your negative thought patterns.

4. Breathwork is an active form of meditation that utilizes intentional breathing. The various breathing techniques are supposed to move stagnant energy in your body. 

5. Resting awareness is a meditation technique that is similar to noting, but instead of evaluating the distracting thoughts and feelings that enter your mind, you simply allow them to float away.