What Is Meditation

Have ever received advice from friends or family members who have told you that meditation is the solution for everything?

Feeling stressed? Meditate!

Need to sleep? Meditate!

Feeling anxious? Meditate!

Need to relax? Meditate!

Feeling sad? Meditate!

But what does it mean to meditate?

What is Meditation?

Meditation refers to a state where your body and mind are consciously relaxed and focused. People who practice meditation have reported increased awareness, focus and concentration, as well as a more positive outlook on life.

Meditation is most commonly associated with monks, mystics and other spiritual disciplines. However, you don’t have to be a monk or mystic to enjoy the benefits of meditation, and you don’t even have to be in a special place to practice it. 

You could meditate anywhere, even in your own home!

Although there are many different approaches to meditation, the fundamental principles remain the same. 

As a starting point in meditation, it is first and foremost important to be place in a comfortable position so if you find the meditating positions you see on television difficult then you need not worry. The principle here is to be in a comfortable position conducive to concentration. This position may be while sitting cross-legged, standing, lying down or even walking.

If the position allows you to relax and focus, then that would be a good starting point. While sitting or standing, the back should be straight but not tense or tight. In other positions, the only no-no is slouching and falling asleep.

Loose, comfortable clothes help a lot in the process since tight fitting clothes have a tendency to choke you up and make you feel tense.

The place you practice meditation should have a soothing atmosphere. It may be in your living room, or bedroom, or any place that you feel comfortable in. 

You might want an exercise mat if you plan to take on the more challenging positions (if you feel more focused doing so, and if the contortionist in you is screaming for release). You may want to have the place arranged so that it is soothing to your senses.

Silence helps most people relax and meditate, so you may want a quiet, isolated area far from the ringing of the phone or the humming of the washing machine. Pleasing scents also help in that regard, so stocking up on aromatic candles or even incense sticks isn’t such a bad idea either.

The monks you see on television making those monotonous sounds are actually performing their mantra. This, in simple terms, is a short creed, a simple sound which, for these practitioners, holds a mystic value.

You do not need to perform such; however, it would pay to note that focusing on repeated actions such as breathing and humming help you to enter a higher state of consciousness.

After you have found yourself a comfortable position in a suitable place, the most important principle in meditation is to remove any obstructive, negative, and wandering thoughts and fantasies from your mind and calming your mind with a deep sense of focus. This helps to clear your mind of “debris” and prepares your mind for a higher quality of activity.

The negative thoughts you have those of noisy neighbors, bossy officemates, that parking ticket you got, and unwanted spam are said to contribute to the “pollution” of the mind, and shutting these thoughts out allows for the “cleansing” of your mind so that it may focus on deeper, more meaningful thoughts.

Some people even shut out all sensory input, so no sights, no sounds, and no touch which helps them to detach themselves from the commotion going on around them. 

After you calm your mind and you are ready to focus then you may begin to focus on a deep and profound thought if this is your goal. It may seem deafening at first, since we are all too accustomed to constantly hearing and seeing things but as you continue this exercise you will find yourself becoming more aware of everything around you.

The principle in meditation to is focus! 

You could also try focusing on a certain object or thought, or even, while keeping your eyes open, focus on a single sight.

For example: while in a meditative state, silently name every part of your body (hands, legs, feet) and focus your consciousness on that part. While doing this you should be aware of any tension on any part of your body and mentally visualize releasing this tension. 

It works wonders!

There are also many meditation CDs on the market that have been scientifically proven to alter your brainwaves in such a way to help you achieve a deep state of meditation.

All in all, meditation is a relatively risk-free practice and the benefits of mediation are well worth the effort (or non-effort remember we’re relaxing!).

Studies have shown that meditation does bring about beneficial physiologic effects to the body and there has been a growing consensus in the medical community to further study the effects of such.

Here are 10 benefits of practicing meditation regularly which is backed by medical studies:

1 – Mediation helps to control anxiety

Research has shown that practicing meditation regularly can help reduce anxiety and improve coping skills and an individual’s response to stress.

2 – Meditation helps to reduce stress

Research has shown that many styles of meditation can help to reduce stress. Likewise mediation can reduce symptoms in people with stress-triggered medical conditions. One of the most common reasons people try meditation is to reduce their stress.

3 – Meditation helps to promote emotional health and well being

Research has shown that some styles of meditation can improve depression symptoms and reduce negative thoughts. Mediation can also decrease levels of inflammatory cytokines, which contribute to depression.

4 – Meditation helps to increase and lengthen attention span

Research has shown that people who practiced meditation regularly performed better on visual tasks and had an increased attention span compared to those without any meditation experience.

5 – Meditation helps to generate kindness

Research has shown that a meditation style called “Metta” also known as a loving-kindness meditation, is a practice of developing positive feelings, first toward yourself and then toward others. Metta meditation helps to increase positivity, empathy, and compassionate behavior toward others.

6 – Meditation helps to fight addictions

Research has shown that meditation develops an individual’s mental awareness and can help to manage triggers of unwanted emotions and impulses which can help them to recover from addiction, manage unhealthy eating, and redirect their attention from other unwanted habits.

7 – Meditation helps to improve sleep

Research has shown that by using a variety of meditation exercises can help you to relax and control your racing thoughts which can interfere with sleep. Meditation can shorten the time it takes to fall asleep and can increase your quality of sleep.

8 – Meditation helps to reduce blood pressure

Research has shown that mediation can reduce the strain on the heart and arteries, helping prevent heart related illnesses. Not only does blood pressure decrease during meditation but also over time in individuals who meditate on a regular basis.

9 – Meditation helps to reduce memory loss

Research has shown that the improved focus you can gain through meditating regularly can boost your memory and mental clarity. By boosting your memory and mental clarity, age-related memory loss and dementia can be fought against.

10 – Meditation helps to increase self-awareness

Research has shown that some styles of meditation can help you “know yourself” which can be a starting point for making other positive changes in your life.

Now that you have gained new-found knowledge on the art of mediation you can start your meditation journey today and enjoy all the great benefits meditation has to offer!