Benefits of meditation

What is meditation?

Some people may have visions of monks in far off lands sitting together in silence when they think about meditation. 

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 means to drop everything which is in one’s memory and to come to a state where only consciousness remains, where only awareness remains. If you remove all objects from your consciousness, all thoughts, all imagination, what will happen? – only consciousness will remain. That pure state of consciousness is meditation. You don’t meditate on somebody. Meditation is a state where only consciousness remains.

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. It's a piece of advice yogis have given for thousands of years: take a deep breath and relax.

You can feel the tension melt from your muscles and all your niggling worries vanish. Somehow we all know that relaxation is good for us. Already it is proved scientifically.

A comprehensive scientific study proves that deep relaxation changes our bodies on a genetic level. Researchers at Harvard Medical School discovered that, in long-term practitioners of relaxation methods such as yoga and meditation, far more ''disease-fighting genes'' were active, compared to those who practiced no form of relaxation.

Researchers found active disease protection system working in the peoples who practice deep relaxation methods.

The genes that protect from disorders such as pain, infertility, high blood pressure and even rheumatoid arthritis were switched on. The researchers were induced by this awesome phenomenon which they call ''the relaxation effect'' that could be just as powerful as any medical drug but without the side effects.

There are various physical benefits that can be experienced when meditation is made to be a part of daily life.

deep relaxation

Helps to keep you calm and relaxed

The simple difference between those who meditate and those who do not, is that for a meditative mind the thought occurs but is witnessed, while for an ordinary mind, the thought occurs and is the boss. So in both minds, an upsetting thought can occur, but for those who meditate it is just another thought, which is seen as such and is allowed to blossom and die, while in the ordinary mind the thought instigates a storm which rages on and on.

Increases your immunity

Relaxation appears to boost immunity in recovering cancer patients. A study at the Ohio State University found that progressive muscular relaxation, when practiced daily, reduced the risk of breast cancer recurrence. In another study at Ohio State, a month of relaxation exercises boosted natural killer cells in the elderly, giving them a greater resistance to tumors and to viruses.

Helps you to maintain emotional balance

Emotional balance, means to be free of all the neurotic behavior that results from the existence of a tortured and traumatized ego. This is very hard to achieve fully, but meditation certainly is the way to cure such neurosis and unhealthy emotional states. As one’s consciousness is cleansed of emotionally soaked memories, not only does great freedom abound, but also great balance. As one’s responses then are not colored by the burdens one carries, but are instead true, direct and appropriate.

Increases fertility

A study at the University of Western Australia found that women are more likely to conceive during periods when they are relaxed rather than stressed. A study at Trakya University, in Turkey, also found that stress reduces sperm count and motility, suggesting relaxation may also boost male fertility.

Helps to relieve from irritable bowl syndrome

When patients suffering from irritable bowel syndrome began practicing a relaxation meditation twice daily, their symptoms of bloating, diarrhea and constipation improved significantly. The meditation was so effective the researchers at the State University of New York recommended it as an effective treatment.

Keeps your blood pressure down

A study at Harvard Medical School found that meditation lowered blood pressure by making the body less responsive to stress hormones, in a similar way to blood pressure-lowering medication. Meanwhile a British Medical Journal report found that patients trained how to relax had significantly lower blood pressure.

Helps to maintain your heart health

Stress leads to inflammation, a state linked to heart disease, arthritis, asthma and skin conditions such as psoriasis, say researchers at Emory University in the US. Relaxation can help prevent and treat such symptoms by switching off the stress response. In this way, one study at McGill University in Canada found that meditation clinically improved the symptoms of psoriasis.