Over the millennia, a lot of people used to think that meditation is just a simple, usual practice and doesn’t need any professional skill. While it is true that it can be done in so many ways, proper demonstration and different techniques need to be learned and exercised with persistence, dedication and hard work. According to Yoga International, “Meditation is a precise technique for resting the mind and attaining a state of consciousness that is totally different from the normal waking state. It is the means for fathoming all the levels of ourselves and finally experiencing the center of consciousness within. Meditation is not a part of any religion; it is a science, which means that the process of meditation follows a particular order, has definite principles, and produces results that can be verified”.
One’s mind is greatly focused into something deeper and wider internally as for how mind temporarily leaves the external world. It is the applied means of calming oneself and letting go of all the external forces that cause stress. Either people use meditation to work out and boost one’s mind or as a way to supplement other activities, the following are the most common benefits that have been known:
- Increases happiness
- Reduces stress – Stress creates agitation and is something most of us deal with on some level.
- Effective in controlling ideal weight levels
- Reduces pain associated with headaches and migraines
- Increase air flow and lung capacity
- Increases memory by relaxing the brain
- Slows aging – Studies show that meditation changes from brain physiology to slow aging. “Cognition seems to be preserved in meditators,” says Sara Lazar, a researcher at Harvard University. Lazar adds that meditators also have more gray matter – literally, more brain cells.
- Improves concentration -Greater concentration is related to the increased energy meditation provides.
- Benefits Cardiovascular and Immune Health– Meditation induces relaxation which increases the compound nitric oxide that causes blood vessels to open up and subsequently, blood pressure to drop.
The following are the most common types of meditation that are widely practiced:
- Transcendental Meditation – In this Hindu tradition you sit in Lotus, internally chant a mantra, and focus on rising above the negativity.
- Heart Rhythm Meditation – a downward meditation, because it focuses energy on developing the application of consciousness. This form of meditation concentrates primarily on the heart.
- Kundalini – a form of upward meditation, which focuses on the rising stream of energy.
- Guided Visualization – used for spiritual healing, stress relief, or personal development.
- Qi Gong – improves posture, respiration, and the ability to relax with greater ease.
- Zazen – this relies on self- guidance and aims to forget all judgmental thoughts, ideas, and images.
- Mindfulness – essential in overcoming suffering and understanding natural wisdom. It is all about acknowledging reality by letting the mind wander, accepting any thoughts that come up, and understanding the present.
Meditation can greatly affect one’s mental and physical well-being that leads to a more fulfilling life. Though practices may differ from one another, utilize something that you are comfortable with and will enhance further your level of wellness. Meditation doesn’t cost you anything, stress does.
References:
https://visualmeditation.com
https://yogainternational.com
