Meditation is different for everyone. Some people meditate for relaxation, some for focus, and some for expansion. Regardless of your reason(s), meditation is most effective as a routine. It all starts with your breathing, which allows your mind to release. Knowing why you are meditating is important. Having a connection to breath is also important, as it’s the key to achieving a deeper meditative state.
The art of meditation, as well as the techniques of meditation, are all around us. It can be found in religion, martial arts, yoga, or just part of your regular every day routine. According to Live & Dare (www.liveanddare.com/history of meditation), the oldest documented evidence of meditation can be found in India, in wall art dating back to 5000 to 3500 BCE (Before the Common Era). This art features people seated in meditative positions with eyes half closed. Regardless of why you choose to meditate, the results are the same… it does provide health benefits. When done correctly and consistently, meditation has shown that it can enhance empathy, improve cognitive abilities, and act as a natural mood/stress stabilizer.
Physically, it can help lower high blood pressure and improve heart rate. It can also help your muscles relax, which leads to less tension and tightness. Mentally, it can help reduce anxiety and help counter depression. In some, it can even help sharpen focus and concentration. During meditation, you are centering your thoughts which in turn helps eliminate (or at least reduce) some of the cluttered and jumbled thoughts that may be racing through your mind. It won’t eliminate the problems of the outside world, but it will aide you in your attempt to correct what needs to be corrected. Instead of struggling to find multiple solutions to multiple problems – which let’s admit, just about never works – you will be centered, focused, and motivated to start taking them on one-at-a-time.
There have been studies done that show that meditation can be a useful tool in the battle with addiction. According to the National Library of Medicine, a 2011 study showed that Mindfulness Training (MT) proved to be effective in reducing the rate of cigarette use in a group of adult smokers. This reduction in tobacco use was not short term either, as the reduction rate was even higher at the 17-week follow-up mark.
Meditation CAN BE for everyone and CAN BE sustained. Whether it’s a mental block leading to a physical pain, or a physical pain leading to a mental block, meditation can help. Today we are talking about the benefits of meditation. Next month we will focus on how to begin and take that first step into the world of meditating. Also check out Roxanne’s monthly moonlight Meditations that help you manifest or release your intentions with the power of the moon.
[Featured Image by Ralf Kunze from Pixabay.]
