5 rave-enhancing benefits of meditation

The origins of meditation date back thousands of years. A lot of meditators say the ancient practice has improved their lives, and brought their minds back into balance.

Now a common practice in today’s society, it has proven benefits for navigating the twists and turns that life often throws up. Making meditation part of your routine has the potential to enhance the rave experience, here’s how…

IMPROVES MENTAL & EMOTIONAL STABILITY
In 2015 neuroscientist Sara Lazar found that meditation helps the mind to cope in stressful and difficult situations. This can boost your rave experience by calming the monkey mind, whether it’s an overwhelming dance floor or an uncomfortable interaction with another raver.

CAN BOOST SENSITIVITY
Imagine if your senses were sharper and more in tune with your surroundings; you would feel the music more, lasers and LEDs would look more vivid, you would feel more connected to your friends... Meditation can increase your awareness of the present moment and amplify your experiences to HD quality in the process.

LESS NEED FOR SUBSTANCES
Meditating can trigger the release of your happy hormones. Serotonin, dopamine and endorphins are all by-products of entering a meditative state. You won’t need to get on it or neck a shot when you’re naturally high.

REDUCES STRESS & ANXIETY
A 2013 study found that meditation reduced the body’s inflammatory response caused by stress. It also lowers levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, which could be the catalyst behind a way more relaxing night on the dance floor.

INCREASES SELF-ESTEEM
Meditation can help us to know ourselves more intimately and, most importantly, become more accepting of ourselves. Through this process, you’ll boost your self-esteem, cultivating a more positive self image - great for dance floor confidence.

GETTING STARTED
Apps like @calm and @headspace offer a gateway into mindfulness and meditation. On a practical level, start small and carve out five minutes a day to just sit in silence to calm the body and mind. This can be a bridge into deeper forms of meditation.