I am so happy to share the following information with you. I believe that meditation was and still is one of the greatest gifts that I allowed myself to experience. I hear so many of my clients say they don’t have the time to meditate, but I believe that we don’t have the time not to. My experience with mediation goes beyond words or anything that I could write on these pages before you. One must experience it for themselves first to fully understand the impact it can have on your life. Meditation helped me transform my life. It is a practice of discipline, self-love and compassion and I think that many who use it would agree.
Thankfully, within the last decade science has finally started to verify the benefits of mediation, confirming the validity of this ancient spiritual practice. It is designed to help us quiet our conscious thinking mind (monkey mind) and allow space for us to connect more deeply with ourselves and what some call our subconscious minds.
We are all equipped with this innate need within us for satisfaction in our lives, and if there is one thing we can agree upon, happiness is the source of everything we seek and desire. We all seek comfort in one another, and due to the complexities of our nature, what makes each of us happy can vary from person to person. So many have been taught to believe only in comfort and satisfaction in others or in things that are usually found outside of ourselves. But are we looking for happiness in all the right places and in all the right faces? Meditation helps one find that comfort and trust within oneself first. Please understand that I am not discounting the importance of a support system, in fact meditation may help you to reach out to others for love, support and guidance. That also has a very important and powerful place in life. I am merely stating that meditation is a wonderful tool to add to your tool belt to help with balance in our very busy life.
According to a large number of meditators and scholars, the real source of happiness lies in the clarity of our thoughts and the openness of our own hearts. Our external experiences can only be a source of pleasure or satisfaction as long as we are finding happiness from the inside out. Unfortunately, society has taught most of us the opposite. Get that perfect job, partner, car, house, body, and happiness will be yours, instead of being satisfied and happy first and then connecting with those external sources.
Meditation establishes a secure connection between our internal and external worlds. It awakens the body and benefits all aspects of the conscious and subconscious layers of the mind. According to Buddhist philosophy meditation trains the mind to “not dwell in the past or contemplate about the future”; everything is in the present moment. It allows us to settle and be present in the moment. ‘Presence is meditation in motion.’ It is the practice of bringing mindfulness into the activities of everyday life. We can practice the art of being here, now, while waiting in a long grocery store line, cleaning the house, making dinner, walking in nature or sitting in traffic.
Presence in meditation involves a simple yet incredible shift – from the ordinary state of mind wandering to bringing our attention to the experience of what is happening right now. The satisfaction of that connection helps us identify better not only with ourselves but with our external environment.
Dr. John W. Denninger, a Harvard Medical Researcher, said that “meditation trains the brain to achieve sustained focus, and to return to that focus when negative thinking, emotions, and physical sensations intrude — which happens a lot when you feel stressed and anxious.”
Numerous studies suggest that meditation aids specific parts of the brain that are known to create depression, anxiety, and stress responses. For example, the medial prefrontal cortex, the ‘me-center’ and the Amygdala, the memory and ‘fear center’ in the brain creates fear responses and activates the ‘fight-or-flight’ system in the body. These functions go into overdrive during the depression and anxiety states which causes a chain reaction in the body affecting every function in our internal systems. As a result, we experience more negative feelings about ourselves and keep sabotaging our self-esteem without knowing. This constant loop can leave us feeling stuck and for some even hopeless.
For years, religious and spiritual communities have praised meditation for its many benefits, and now with the advances made in science, we are finally able to legitimize the innate knowledge of that spiritual understanding. When incorporating it as a daily practice we can experience a positive impact that can be seen and measured.
Here are a few scientifically proven examples of how meditation can impact your physical and mental health:
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- Meditation is often a tool that is utilized in recovery from addiction and alcoholism https://www.addictioncenter.com/treatment/meditation-therapy-substance-abuse/
- Meditation helps in controlling blood circulation that spikes up during stress. As a result, it reduces the vulnerability of developing hypertension and stress-induced cardiac arrests.
- By regulating the hormonal balance, meditation prevents diseases like hypothyroidism, diabetes, and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).
- Meditation is a natural nerve-soother. People who rely on meditation to ease work stress or personal tensions seldom have to rely on alcohol, sleeping pills, or other harmful substances to relax.
- Meditation helps with healthy sleep cycles, which is the body’s natural healing mechanism.
- By consciously focusing for a few minutes every day, we can become more vigilant and aware of our thoughts and emotions, and find it easier to replace the negative automatic thoughts with positive ones.
- Meditation releases tension from the muscles and makes us feel more energetic and ‘in control of ourselves, even during times of distress.
Getting started with meditation
So many find the idea of meditation as daunting, and an impossible practice to learn, but like any new habit, it takes practice and patience. I am not a believer in meditating for long periods of time, because our minds are not wired that way. However, I do believe that 15 minutes in the morning is the best time to meditate. This is before the conscious thinking mind gets too busy. I also believe that it is a practice before bedtime if you do get the chance. This is a great way to help decompress for the day’s events and truly let go. Even the busiest of brains can meditate with practice.
Listed below are some easy methods to help anyone get started, Remember meditation is a practice of self-love, so be easy on yourself when first trying this. You are working on rewiring the brain and it’s a stress response, and that takes time, patience and perseverance.
Try a guided meditation. If the idea of sitting tall and still while letting your thoughts drift away sounds impossible, try a guided meditation. Meditation apps like Calm and Headspace simplify the process of meditation. Personally, I like listening to my deep breathing, nature music or even the humming sound of my fridge. However, I do enjoy using guided meditations before I go to sleep. You can also search for guided meditations online using YouTube. Don’t be afraid to change things up or to try different types of meditation music. This is about discovery and not all guided meditations work for everyone.
Create a special place for your meditation practice. Consider devoting a special place in your home to your meditation practice. This could be a comfortable chair, a particular spot on the couch, your yard, or anywhere else that feels comfortable. You’ll begin to associate this area with peace and tranquillity, and soon you’ll begin to look forward to your meditation practice. As your practice evolves, you’ll find the ability to meditate anywhere and at any time.
Start slowly and build up gradually. There’s no rule for how long you “should” meditate, although some experts say that 15 minutes is ample. You certainly don’t have to meditate for an hour or more every day to experience benefits. Start with 5 minutes a day and add time as you feel comfortable.
Choose a mantra. Mantras are sounds, words, and phrases you repeat while meditating. They can be spiritual and transformative, or they can simply serve as a means to help you focus. You can repeat them silently or out loud. Beginners may want to start with “breathing in, breathing out” to help focus. Some may find it easier to have their eyes closed when doing this. This also helps with remaining focused on the breath. Here is a link to 8 powerful mantras.
Detach from feelings of frustration. There’s no such thing as “good” or “bad” meditation. Some days your thoughts will be so persistent you’ll feel as though you’ll never calm your mind. It might feel impossible to let them go. That’s completely okay! We’re all human and it happens to the best of us. Simply and gently bring your attention back to your breath and praise yourself for noticing and readjusting your focus. Also for you perfectionists out there, there is no right or wrong way to meditate so don’t judge yourself, it takes time to become a master of anything, meditation included. Remember, meditation is a journey and practice without a final destination.
