What Is Meditation

MEDITATION

I think now almost everyone in the world know's what is Meditation. And the credit for this goes to a great sage from India SWAMI VIVEKANAND. He introduced western world with the hindu customs, spirituality and much more in the world famous World Parliament of Religion held in Chicago in the year 1893.

So let's see what is meditation and how to do it.

WHAT IS MEDITATION !

Meditation can be defined as a set of techniques that are intended to encourage a heightened state of awareness and focused attention. Meditation is also a consciousness-changing technique that has been shown to have a wide number of benefits on psychological well-being.1

Some key things to note about meditation:

• Meditation has been practiced in cultures all over the world for thousands of years.
• Nearly every religion, including Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, has a tradition of using meditative practices.
• While meditation is often used for religious purposes, many people practice it independently of any religious or spiritual beliefs or practices.
• Meditation can also be used as a psychotherapeutic technique.
• There are many different types of meditation.

So, basically meditaion is just focusing your monkey mind to a certain thing or a ceratain point. But after regularly practicing meditation one advances to different states of consciousness but that is for another blog :) .

Here are some scientific benefits of meditation that scientists believe meditation really does.
In another blog we will be seeing some miraculous benefits that modern science do not or can't believe.

Top 5 Scientific Benefits of Meditation

1. Reduce Stress

Stress Reduction is one of the most common reasons people try meditation.

One review concluded that meditation lives up to its reputation for stress reduction (1Trusted Source).

Normally, mental and physical stress cause increased levels of the stress hormone cortisol. This produces many of the harmful effects of stress, such as the release of inflammatory chemicals called cytokines.

These effects can disrupt sleep, promote depression and anxiety, increase blood pressure, and contribute to fatigue and cloudy thinking.

In an 8-week study, a meditation style called “mindfulness meditation” reduced the inflammation response caused by stress.

2. Increases Self Awareness

Some forms of meditation may help you develop a stronger understanding of yourself, helping you grow into your best self.

For example, self-inquiry meditation explicitly aims to help you develop a greater understanding of yourself and how you relate to those around you.

Other forms teach you to recognize thoughts that may be harmful or self-defeating. The idea is that as you gain greater awareness of your thought habits, you can steer them toward more constructive patterns (16Trusted Source, 17Trusted Source, 18Trusted Source).

One review of 27 studies showed that practicing tai chi may be associated with improved self-efficacy, which is a term used to describe a person’s belief in their own capacity or ability to overcome challenges (19Trusted Source).

3. Help Fight Addictions

The mental discipline you can develop through meditation may help you break dependencies by increasing your self-control and awareness of triggers for addictive behaviors (34Trusted Source).

Research has shown that meditation may help people learn to redirect their attention, manage their emotions and impulses, and increase their understanding of the causes behind their (35Trusted Source, 36Trusted Source).

One study in 60 people receiving treatment for alcohol use disorder found that practicing transcendental meditation was associated with lower levels of stress, psychological distress, alcohol cravings, and alcohol use after 3 months (37Trusted Source).

4. Improves Sleep 

Nearly half of the population will struggle with insomania at some point.

One study compared mindfulness-based meditation programs and found that people who meditated stayed asleep longer and had improved insomnia severity, compared with those who had an unmedicated control condition (39).

Becoming skilled in meditation may help you control or redirect the racing or runaway thoughts that often lead to insomnia.

Additionally, it can help relax your body, releasing tension and placing you in a peaceful state in which you’re more likely to fall asleep.

5. Helps To Decrease Blood Pressure

Meditation can also improve physical health by reducing strain on the heart.

Over time, high blood pressure makes the heart work harder to pump blood, which can lead to poor heart function.

High blood pressure also contributes to atherosclerosis, or a narrowing of the arteries, which can lead to heart attack and stroke.

A meta-analysis of 12 studies enrolling nearly 1000 participants found that meditation helped reduced blood pressure. This was more effective among older volunteers and those who had higher blood pressure prior to the study (42Trusted Source).

One review concluded that several types of meditation produced similar improvements in blood pressure (43Trusted Source).

In part, meditation appears to control blood pressure by relaxing the nerve signals that coordinate heart function, blood vessel tension, and the “fight-or-flight” response that increases alertness in stressful situations (44Trusted Source).

You can check different types of meditation practices here.

So Meditation can help in every aspect of your life as it calms down your mind and helps to take control of your mind.

HERE'S A VIDEO GUIDE FOR BEGINNERS BY SADHGURU: