Room for Improvement

Room for Improvement is a weekly column written by freelance writer Sara Groves about her yearlong quest to improve her physical, mental and financial health.

Are you depressed? Anxious? Do you have difficulty concentrating on one thing at a time? Do you have trouble sleeping?

Would you believe there’s a simple cost-free way to alleviate all of those problems and more?

Meditation — the act of sitting silently, focusing your attention, and letting go of thoughts that clutter your mind — has been proven to positively affect a range of health issues, from reducing anxiety to managing high blood pressure.

I first learned about meditation a few years ago from Buddhist priest Gyokujun Layla Smith at Open Circle Sangha, a group of Zen Buddhists here in Helena. (MORE)

Source: helenair.com