“Meditate daily; it will bring a positive change in your life.”
You might have heard this many times. When we hear the word Meditation, we think – it’s like sitting at an outcast space with closed eyes, struggling to concentrate and manage your thoughts, but actually Meditation is much more than this. The importance of meditation has been recorded and experienced for ages. In this stressful world, Meditation offers time for relaxation and a sense of awareness. It improves one’s physical wellbeing and emotional health. It’s a process of self-discipline that aims at making you calm, focused, and centered.
Meditation takes you to the path of peace and life without anxiety, doubts, or fear. Our entire existence is experienced through our minds. Meditation alters one’s perspective on life. There are many styles in which one can meditate. Breathing Meditation, Mindfulness Meditation, Walking Meditation, Concentration, and many more.
Advantages of Meditation
Meditation is an age-old practice that has taken many forms these days. This simple yet profound practice envelopes numerous benefits under one head. The ones who meditate regularly; experience a noticeable difference in how they feel. Meditation makes you feel less reactive, less stressed, and more focused. It’s a part of wider personal development. Some of the advantages of meditation are as follows.
1. Focus and productivity
The lifestyle these days is stressful and edgy. People hardly find time to sit at peace for a while. Daily meditation practice for about 15-20 minutes leaves an intense effect on the ability to focus and be productive throughout the day. It helps to control brain waves called alpha rhythm which helps suppress distracting sensory information thereby increasing the ability to focus. Focus adds productivity to whatever you do.
2. Bring clarity to thoughts
At times you may be webbed in your thoughts. Unable to come to a conclusion and make decisions. While meditating when you breathe deeply and focus, it enhances the ability to have much clearer thoughts. During deep breaths level of oxygen increases in the brain that calms the nervous system and improves decision-making by providing clarity to thoughts. Meditate daily and observe the changes in the thought process.
3. Meditation helps to calm nerves
Meditation activates the parasympathetic nervous system that is related to rest and digestion. Meditation triggers your natural relaxation process by slowing down your breathing rate and maintains blood pressure. The stress level gets reduced and calms the nervous system.
4. Meditation builds strong mental health
Meditation involves deep breathing and concentration. The amount of oxygen received by the brain relaxes the nervous system. It helps in managing negative emotions such as anger and fear. Regularly practicing Meditation is very effective in controlling depression and anxiety. All these combined benefits result in the overall strong mental health of an individual.
Meditation is also helpful to improve physical strength of the body.
5. Strengthens immune system
The immune system in a human body protects it from foreign invaders like bacteria and viruses. Diet and exercise play a very vital role in maintaining our immune system. The brain is connected to every organ of the body including our immune system. The amount of stress a person takes can harm health. Both mental and physical health is interconnected. Meditation reduces stress and relaxes the mind. The calm nervous system enhances the positive flow of energy within the body. This results in strengthening the immune system of the body.
6. Helps low blood pressure condition
Low blood pressure is a state that leads to tiredness, fatigue, and a feeling of dizziness throughout the day. During meditation, the flow of oxygen increases in the blood. Deep inhalation and concentration bring a balance to the nervous system and hormonal response. Meditation thereby contributes to maintaining blood pressure and reducing the dependency on medicines.
7. Reduces anxiety and depression
Anxiety usually occurs when you anticipate future events deeply and depression because of past events. Mediation is a technique that keeps you in the present moment. Regular meditation decreases anxiety and depression related to the thought process. It cures neurological imbalances by reducing stress levels and allowing the body to repair and relax.
8. Improve sleep
Sleeping difficulties are normally related to stress. Anxiety, depression, tension makes it hard to fall asleep. The techniques in meditation can quiet your mind and body by enhancing inner peace. It increases the amount of melatonin (the sleep hormone) in the body. It activates the part of the brain that controls sleep. Meditation before bedtime reduces insomnia by providing overall calmness.
9. Stress reduction
When you feel you can’t handle the pressure and adverse situations, it results in stress. Stress leads to repercussions on both the mind and body. Meditation is a proven stress-buster for ages. Daily meditation practice can help you build resilience to stress. When you are thrown off by emotional stress this will help to get centered. Meditation restores the body by triggering the body’s relaxation response.
10. Reduces Age-related memory loss
Improved attention and clarity of thoughts help in keeping the mind young. It helps in fighting age-related memory loss by keeping the mind calm and stress-free. Meditation has given proven results in diseases like dementia. Meditating daily reduces the physical and mental health issues that arise due to aging.
Meditate daily for a better life
Meditation is not a day or two processes. It’s a continuous practice, so start at a slow pace. You can have trouble sitting for a long time, so start with a little. Meditation can be done two ways either by closing your eyes or just maintain a soft gaze while counting your breath. It can be practiced at any time of the day. People might think they need to get up early to do the same but Meditation can be done at different times.
For beginners, it’s good to start in a quiet place. Concentrating on inhaling and exhale of breathing is a good start as breathing is a natural function. While meditating one has to focus attention on different body parts. You can also practice meditation by repeating any mantra. Many different methods of meditation are there. The only thing required is willingness and zeal towards it. When done regularly meditation takes you to the path of self-awareness and becoming a better human being