Many years ago I worked with a coach who advised me to start taking some time off. As a freelance writer, the very notion of having one day a week when I wasn’t working seemed crazy. How could I pay my bills if I wasn’t working?? But I followed his advice and started instituting the practice of one day off a week and I’ve discovered that I’m much more productive as a result. 

This whole notion of slowing down to speed up is at the heart of my meditation practice. I’ve learned that I can do so much more when I consciously take time out. And on my days off, I love doing guided meditations or letting someone else hold space for me. 

Since I have more free time on my day off, I like doing longer meditations. Often, I get my acupressure mat out and relax on it while I listen to a theta meditation. I get mine from https://www.unexplainablestore.com/ but there are plenty of free theta meditations on YouTube. 

Your brain produces five different types of brain waves. Theta waves are one of the slowest and usually occur when you’re dreaming or when you’re drifting off to sleep or about to wake up. However, you can also experience theta waves when you’re awake, and it’s believed that the theta state is important for processing information and creating new memories. Researchers are still learning more about the significance of theta waves, but it is believed that they are useful when learning new skills. There is also some evidence to show that theta wave activity may also help people suffering from generalised anxiety disorder (GAD). 

You can induce theta meditation by listening to binaural beats or isochronic tones. These are very relaxing sounds which can help you feel calmer and be fully present in the moment. There is research to show that this can help people enter into a meditative state, although more evidence is needed about how binaural beats can be used for relaxation and stress reduction. 

Regardless of the evidence, I’ve always found the time flies past when I’m listening to an isochronic recording and when it’s combined with my acupressure mat, 40 minutes of meditation leaves me feeling like I’ve had a full night’s sleep. 

If you’ve never tried a theta meditation before, give it a go and let me know how it was for you.