Meditation is a practice of concentrated focus upon a sound, object, visualization, the breath, movement, or attention itself in order to increase awareness of the present moment. This helps to reduce stress, promote relaxation, and enhance personal and spiritual growth.
As it is a “practice” some effort must be put into doing it for it to have any effect. To gain real benefit from it you need to commit a small amount of time regularly to meditation. You may also like to dedicate a space for the purpose –a quiet room, or even just a corner of a room, that feels peaceful and will allow you to let go of normal life for a little while.
Meditation has been practiced for thousands of years. Meditation originally was meant to help deepen understanding of the sacred and mystical forces of life. These days, meditation is commonly used for relaxation and stress reduction.
Meditation is considered a type of mind-body complementary medicine. Meditation can produce a deep state of relaxation and a tranquil mind.
During meditation, you focus your attention and eliminate the stream of jumbled thoughts that may be crowding your mind and causing stress. This process may result in enhanced physical and emotional well-being.
Meditation benefits people with or without acute medical illness or stress. People who meditate regularly have been shown to feel less anxiety and depression. They also report that they experience more enjoyment and appreciation of life and that their relationships with others are improved. Meditation produces a state of deep relaxation and a sense of balance.
The aim of meditation is not to produce a blank mind but a state of mindfulness (mind-full-ness). This is not an empty mind but is actually a state of being hyper-aware of the circumstances of the moment you are living in all of its sensory detail, rather than focusing on the egocentric self-talk or events in the past or future which is the normal state of consciousness for most people.
Meditation is known to:
- Promote physical relaxation
- Reduce stress and anxiety
- Enhancement of mental clarity
- Enhancement of calmness
- Help to unlock creative potential
- Lengthens attention span
- Allow connection to inner wisdom
- Enhance healing skills
- May help fight addictions
- Can decrease blood pressure
- Allow expansion of consciousness
- Improves sleep
- Promotes emotional health