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For eternities, meditation, or the art of focusing your mind and attention, has been used to find calm and clarity. But can this practice be designed to promote relaxation, develop compassion and love, and build internal energy help in weight loss?

Research does not show a direct link between meditation and weight loss, but experts agree that meditation helps you become more aware of your thoughts and actions, including those related to food. In 2011, a group of researchers at UC San Francisco found that meditation could be a key in helping people to control their dietary habits and help them lose weight.  Research has also shown that meditation can help with both binge eating and emotional eating.

How can the technique of meditation slow down or inhibit weight gain? Ayurveda and Yoga go hand in hand. Ayurveda says  Adi-Vyadi. Adi means beginning while vyadi stands for disease. Adi, any beginning in the mind, gives rise to vyadi in the body. The mind is what matters – even when it comes to weight gain in the body.

Health guru Deepak Chopra has written about how meditation can cause enough positive change in your brain in eight weeks to rewire the body’s circuitry, helping you modify your eating habits and other behaviors.

Isn’t it time you get started?

1. The best way to start meditation practice is to begin with conscious breathing. Sit in any comfortable posture with eyes closed and become aware of your breath. Counting your inhalations and exhalations helps you avoid distractions and take note of your breathing pattern. Any kind of pranayama technique also helps in this.
2. Meditate on a sound. You can pick up the universal sound AUM to meditate on. Close your eyes and start chanting AUM in your mind. Chant continuously without a pause – this helps avoid any kind of distraction.
3. You can also try meditating on a single object. Gaze at the image of an object or object for a long time and meditate on that for as long as you can by closing your eyes. Try staring at a small dot or AUM and closing your eyes to start your meditation practice. Keep bringing your awareness levels back to the image if your mind gets deviated.