Meditation & Its Benefits

Meditation is to the mind what exercise is to the body. Just as your body benefits from regular physical exercise, your brain benefits from mental exercise.

Introduction

• Meditation means  ‘to mediate between the body and mind. It is an age-old method to connect your mind with your body, which is being practiced more for spiritual well-being rather than for religious purposes. In addition to the three determinants of health as defined by WHO, over the years many experts opined to fit the ’spiritual’ determinant in the current definition. Human happiness should also be a priority for a good state of overall health. Practicing ‘meditation’ also falls under the umbrella of spiritual health, but it is not necessarily related to a religious belief or tradition. 
• Meditation, in simple terms, means concentration on the breath to redirect the thoughts and train the mind towards relaxation, more organized focus, and help one to generate more awareness of themselves. There are many ways to practice meditation, but most are organized based on the techniques or methods.
• Most meditation practices involve focusing on:
• Being aware of your breathing patterns and making a conscious effort to breathe deeply and regularly.
• Chanting a mantra repeatedly for a fixed number of times.
• Concentrating on an image.
• There’s no right or wrong way to meditate, and what works best for you depends on your lifestyle, schedule and energy levels. You may want to try different techniques to find one that suits you.
• What are the benefits of regular meditation?
• Relieves stress and anxiety
• Improves work productivity
• Improves outlook in psychosomatic diseases (diseases that flare up because of stress) like asthma, hypertension, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritisand irritable bowel syndrome(IBS)
• Helps you uncover and cope with repressed traumas
• Improves posture and reduces muscle tension and aches
• Improves sleepquality
• Improves memory
• Lowers heartrate and blood pressure
• Tips for good meditative practice
• Choose a fixed time and place to meditate.
• Select a position that’s comfortable and relaxing, but one that isn’t going to make you fall asleep.
• Begin your meditation journey under a trained expert.
• Keep in mind that certain yogaand tai chi postures may not be suitable for you, especially if you are pregnantor have back issues or arthritis.
• Patience is the key. Meditation is not a one-stop solution to all problems.
• Take small steps at first and gradually increase the intensity.