Come along to our Meditation group, every Thursday
What Is Meditation
Many people have a uninformed view of meditation and wonder, “What is meditation and what good can it do me?” While some people may have visions of monks in far off lands sitting together in silence when they think about meditation. Meditation is actually becoming a practice that is quite popular in the Western world among people from all walks of life.
If you are not familiar with meditation, you may still be wondering, “What is meditation?” Essentially, the answer to the question is a simple one. Meditation is an approach that anyone can use to help them cope with medical problems, stress, and anxiety by way of thought, contemplation, and reflection.
Meditation encompasses a variety of practices that are somewhat different, while holding to the basic principles of consideration and quiet thought to bring about a state of rumination.
Various types of meditation that are recognised include transcendental meditation, prayer,
Zen meditation, Taoist meditation, mindfulness meditation, and Buddhist meditation.
Some methods of meditation may require the body being absolutely still or to be moved with controlled deliberation, while other types allow for free movement of the body.
While the methods are different, the end goal of all types of meditation lead to a mind that is quieted and free from stress by the use of quiet contemplation and reflection.
Along with the question “What is Meditation,” you may also wonder, “What benefits can be experienced by using meditation regularly?” There are a variety of benefits that have been linked with the regular practice of meditation. Meditation can bring about healing of both the body and the mind by using deliberation of thought and consideration. There are various physical benefits that can be experienced when meditation is made to be a part of daily life.
Thousands of research studies indicate that meditating for as little as fifteen or twenty minutes a day promotes improved mental and physical health and well-being,
Psychological Benefits
Improved mental health
Less stress
Increased creativity
Less anxiety and depression
Improved memory
Greater emotional stability
Increased learning ability
Better concentration and focus
A sense of fulfilment and purpose
Improved self-confidence
Increased spirituality
Greater awareness and intuition
Physical Benefits
More energy
Reduction of stress-related illnesses
Lower blood pressure
Boosted immune system
Better sleep patterns
Faster recovery
Improved co-ordination
Increased stamina
Reduced pain
Improvement in heart and artery health
Better motor skills
Increased brain function
Those who use meditation regularly also find that their resting heart rate is lower as well, which takes some of the stress off the heart. Chemicals in the body that are associated with stress are lower as well, which leads to less anxiety. Meditation also promotes youthful skin and a youthful appearance. Meditation is a practice that brings about not only physical benefits, but psychological benefits as well. Bringing oneself to a state of rumination through meditation has amazing effects on the psych of a person. Relaxation and a decrease in stress are rather obvious benefits, but many people do not realize that meditation can also improve moods and memory and decrease moodiness and depression.
Now that you have some answers to the question, “What is meditation,” you may want to go on to experience the benefits of meditation for yourself. Mediation can only improve the life you are living; providing both physical and emotional benefits that will change your life in a positive way.
"In meditation, effort must be applied in a direction opposite to what we are used to. Our effort must be to relax ever more deeply. We must ultimately release the tension from both our muscles and our thoughts. When we relax so deeply that we are able to internalize the energy of the senses, the mind becomes focused and a tremendous flow of energy is awakened.... Meditation is a continuous process, and can be said to have three stages: relaxation, interiorisation, and expansion."
John Novak
"Meditation decreases oxygen consumption, heart rate, respiratory rate and blood pressure, and increases the intensity of alpha, theta and delta brainwaves - the opposite of the physiological changes that occur during stress "
Herbert Benson, M.D. Harvard Medical School, author of The Relaxation Response