It’s cold season again! With the cooler weather comes more opportunity to catch something as we go back to school, return to our offices, socialize with friends and enter a time well-known for spreading sickness. So, here’s a question for you—should you meditate while you have a cold? 

Since I am currently suffering through a period of sickness, this question quickly rose to the surface of my mind and I found myself doing a lot of research to find a general consensus. According to many experts, yes! They claim that it’s a good idea to meditate while you are feeling sick even though you may try to push it off due to discomfort caused by your illness. 

A study published in the “Journal of the American Medical Association” in 2016 found that in a group of 342 adult test subjects, (all suffering from chronic lower back pain) most found improvement of their pain in a 26-week period of regular meditation.

These experts claim that meditating while sick can help provide relief. A study published in the “Journal of the American Medical Association” in 2016 found that in a group of 342 adult test subjects, (all suffering from chronic lower back pain) most found improvement of their pain in a 26-week period of regular meditation. How is this possible? Well, many claim that meditation can teach you to live in your discomfort which, ultimately, can teach your brain to override those messages of pain and allow you to feel relief. In theory, the more you live in your pain, the more used to it you become and the less attention your brain will call to it as you are going about your day. 

Mindfulness

As you go through and relax the parts of your body that are experiencing the pain of sickness, the tension will likely release those areas, which can help you feel relief.

Experts state that mindfulness meditation is a great way to overcome a cold, as it teaches you to live in all your feelings, even ones of discomfort. Many mindfulness meditation exercises also have you relax your body one section at a time. As you go through and relax the parts of your body that are experiencing the pain of sickness, the tension will likely release those areas, which can help you feel relief. So, the general consensus on mindfulness is that it is a great practice when you are feeling ill. 

Manifestation

So, in times of sickness, it may be a good idea to avoid manifestation exercises and instead focus on relaxation and healing meditation exercises. 

Since I am dealing with a cold right now, I can tell you that I would exercise extreme caution while trying to manifest during a period of sickness. While relaxing meditation exercises, such as mindfulness, are known to help with your healing, meditation sessions that require a great deal of energy may be too much for your body to take, depending on how sick you are. I tried to do my regular manifestation session yesterday, and after I built up a large amount of energy to direct at my manifestation, I felt much dizzier and more quickly drained than I usually do. So, in times of sickness, it may be a good idea to avoid manifestation exercises and instead focus on relaxation and healing meditation exercises. 

Healing 

The Expand app offers some great healing exercises, such as “Heal and Balance,” found in the “Relaxation and Healing” section of the app

While a good manifestation session may not be in the cards for you while you have a cold, I would suggest attempting to heal yourself. Healing may not be for everyone, but even if it isn’t for you, there’s nothing like a recharge of positive energy and happy thoughts while you are meditating. The Expand app offers some great healing exercises, such as “Heal and Balance,” found in the “Relaxation and Healing” section of the app. I’ve found “Heal and Balance” to be a great exercise to conduct when I am not feeling well because, as mentioned above in mindfulness, it begins by allowing me to fully relax all of my muscles and tension, which right away helps release the pain I’m holding. Then, it allows me to connect with my inner healer and visualize myself being healed on a physical, emotional, mental and spiritual level. 

If you have taken Gateway Voyage, you know about your dolphin. I find this exercise especially powerful to use while healing with my dolphin. If you’re one of those people who has a hard time visualizing their dolphin, you may find a lot of power in healing with white light. Imagining a great white light around yourself and others is another great way to meditate and heal when you are not feeling your best. 

...relaxation and healing meditation sessions can be extremely beneficial when I am feeling under the weather.

So, through both research and personal experiences, I’ve discovered that mindfulness, relaxation and healing meditation sessions can be extremely beneficial when I am feeling under the weather. On the other hand, avoiding high-energy healing sessions such as certain manifestation exercises may be best while you are sick. I’ve only been under the weather for a couple of days, but I’m already making a turn for the better after a couple of good “Heal and Balance” meditation sessions. 

Download Monroe's Expand app and decide what works best for you.
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