The Value and importance of meditation as a daily health tool for self-improvement can no longer be over looked or undervalued in the stress induced, fast paced, ever changing world we find ourselves living on called Earth. Our lovely planet inhabits roughly 7.5 billion people, yes that’s correct 7.5 billion walking, talking, different personalities. This total equates for the collective thoughts, perceptions, and actions that mold the direction and quality of life on the planet, yikes!
You can see it in the news, on the roads, and at home, simply put the average individual is stressed out more oft then healthy living should permit. Â A shocking total of 80% of American workers indicate they feel stress in the workplace. 91% of adult Australians acknowledge that at least one major aspect of their life is diluted with stress. To top it off records of labor surveys reveal an estimated 440,000 citizens of Britain have willingly worked while experiencing stress that was directly making them ill. This begs the question, what is meditation and how can it help alleviate stress while promoting healthy living or at the very least make individuals bearable to be around in the morning.
What is Meditation?
The term meditation can be a foreign term to some, while to others it may be viewed as an essential aspect of one’s life dependent upon the individual’s view and beliefs. Meditation can be defined as a discourse intended to express the author’s perception and experience or to guide others in contemplation. Practiced meditation can also be expressed as a state of deep peace that occurs when the mind is settled.
When, where, and with whom?
Although many have deemed daily meditation as a new age fad that in fact couldn’t be further from the truth. With a quick history lesson we can see that the practice and application of meditation for personal health can be chronologically followed all the way back to 1500 BCE in the East on the account of Hindu written records and 20 BCE respectively in the West via Philo of Alexandria.
Health benefits of meditation
There is a vast array of benefits cultivated through meditation including but not limited to decreased rates of depression, lower levels of stress, and diminished anxiety. A study that was concluded involving 400 students at five different middle schools in Belgium linked mindfulness meditation practices to a reduction in the aforementioned categories of depression, stress, and anxiety respectively. A This study also showed these students reported less signs and symptoms of depression six months later!
Furthermore experiments conducted by Harvard neuroscientists supports meditation to increase grey matter in areas of the brain involved learning, memory, regulation of emotions, and having a perspective of one’s self and others. The data from Harvard’s neuroscientist also revealed increased growth of the hippocampal and volumes of frontal grey matter respectively within meditators.
Sounds great but how do I meditate?
At this point you might find yourself wanting to give this whole meditation for health thing a go but might need help in getting started. The dynamics and application of meditation practices can vary from each individual but in general the following six simple steps may be used for simple and effective means by which one can meditate.
1. Select a word or mantra. This doesn’t need to be an in-depth sentence and one can simply use words such as peace or love. The point here is focusing your attention on the mantra and not your clutter of anxiety riddled thoughts.
2. Grab a comfy spot to sit. You won’t need the popcorn but finding a comfortable place to sit is essential given the amount of time you will be stationary. Sitting on a chair or sofa with cushions or pillows is suggested. A blanket may also be used but is not necessary as the point here is to find a posture you can remain comfortably in for an extended amount of time.
3. Relax the eyes and breathe deep. Start by inhaling through your nose slowly while exhaling out of your mouth as this will help to cleanse and relax your body.
4. Begin repeating your chosen word or mantra. Now one may start the repetition of silently repeating their selected mantra without moving the tongue or lips. The mantra does not need to correlate with the in-breathe and out-breath respectively although this might be found to be beneficial for some. The purpose of this step is to stay relaxed and not to force oneself as meditation at is core is meant to be effortless.
5. Get out of your own way. An individual might find that their mind tends to wander towards various thoughts and distractions but don’t fret as this is typical human nature. If you do find your mind wondering an individual may simply return the point of focus back to their mantra to settle the mind once more.
6. Stop repeating the mantra, completion. Once you have reached your allotted meditation time you may stop repeating your chosen word or mantra while continuing to sit with your eyes closed. This is a good time to relax after your meditation and before resuming daily activity.
A means to an end
With the global population set to increase to 8.6 billion by the year 2030 and to 9.8 billion by 2050 individuals will increasingly find themselves interacting with others on a more frequent and intimate basis. Using meditation as a means to deal and help cope with the stressors of daily life would seem to be an advantageous and proactive outlook to immediate and future health concerns per individual.
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