Starting a meditation practice can seem daunting with hundreds of techniques available to try. Julie’s advice for beginners is to keep it simple. Take 5-10 minutes every day to inhale for a count of four into your belly, then breathe out for a count of four, imagining your belly button moving toward your spine. “As you breathe, you will notice the tension in your body release, your pulse will slow, and a sense of focus and awareness should settle in your mind,” says Julie. It may take time to feel the impact of doing regular meditation, but it will come and is worth the effort. “Some techniques may be more effective for some than others. If counting to three for two minutes is what you can do, then start there. If it’s more practical to meditate in bed, do that. There are no rules.” Ten minutes may also be hard at the beginning. According to Psychology Today Canada, the length of the meditation is less important than being consistent. Julie adds, “If your mind is ruminating too much, guided meditations may help give it something tangible to focus on. Find what fits for you, your schedule, cadence, and lifestyle.” Meditation is a beautiful form of self-care; Making it a daily practice is as easy as breathing. To learn more, email Julie at julie@juliereahealing.com or search for techniques and recorded meditations on YouTube. You can also visit the Komoka, Mt Brydges and Delaware libraries for meditation resources.
Meditation: It’s as Easy as Breathing Cultures around the world have practiced variations of meditation for thousands of years. Western healthcare is now catching up to what those ancient civilizations innately understood: that regular breathing exercises are beneficial for both the body and the mind.
Research shows that focused breathwork—a.k.a. meditation— done daily helps to ground and center yourself, connecting your body and mind to find a place of calm. It helps lower stress, anxiety and blood pressure, increase focus and awareness, and regulate negative thoughts.
Meditation involves focusing your mind typically by sitting quietly for 10 minutes, breathing deeply, and concentrating on a word, phrase, or your breath.
Julie Rea and her dog Boots in her meditation space
“When we breathe fast and shallow, our sympathetic nervous system is triggered, putting us into a ‘fight or flight’ state,” explains Julie Rea, a certified intuitive energy healer and Reiki master practitioner who lives in Delaware. “When we slow and deepen our breathing, our bodies switch to a ‘digest and rest’ state where our parasympathetic nervous system is activated, and we relax.”
Page 10 KKD Villager September 2025
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