Why You Need To Meditate

The practice of meditating provides us with so many positive benefits. There is a very large body of work demonstrating the power meditation has to fight illness, anxiety, and stress as well as help us take a step back from our busy lives.

Besides all that, just the time spent meditating can be summed up as heavenly or otherworldly. When you choose to be still and simply reflect you suddenly find yourself being transformed. You’ve left your conscious self behind and now you are tapping into your sub-conscious, a much quieter and enlighted place most people never seek or find.

Picture your typical day. Sounds, demands on your time, family, work, relationships coming at you from all different directions. It’s enough to make you run for the countryside. How can we resist these staggering forces of distress and negativity? We need to turn deep within ourselves where there is an unlimited supply of peace and guiding energy.

The Industrial Revolution drove people from their quiet country lives into the big cities which, as a result, became even busier. The stresses and diseases associated with city living crept into the lives of these people. Life was complicated. How many stars could you see in the night sky from your room? Where were the birds with their happy songs? The sound of water tripping over rocks? Country life had a well thought out existence. You followed nature’s cycles, planting seeds, nurturing their growth and harvesting the bounty to provide for your family. Man felt connected to nature. Today, you don’t ever have to leave the city. All that nature provides can be found just down the block from your condo. Fast food, discount clothing stores, drive-through banking and climate controlled by thermostats and air conditioners. Our origins in nature have silently and quickly become disconnected.

Meditation, in its simplicity, takes us back to a place where we can block out the everyday stuff that overwhelms us. Meditating allows us to let go of stress, the byproduct of our chaotic lives.

You can meditate anywhere, anytime, it’s easy and convenient. There are no costs to do it, no scary side effects and you won’t gain weight. It can, however, be very addictive but not in the same way that drugs or alcohol are addictive. After meditating you feel good about yourself and may even experience the effects of a “natural” high. It is these benefits of meditation that can lead to a more positive and healthy lifestyle.

We all know how complicated the human body is. Heck, would-be doctors spend years and thousands of dollars trying to understand its workings. Meditation focuses on the brain which helps produce natural “drugs” many, many times more powerful than the medications being prescribed these days. When you meditate your body starts to produce hormones and chemicals giving you a rush of calm and joy. The more you reflect the more you’ll find yourself able to chill in the moment.

You may be starting your meditation journey for any number of reasons, many of them similar or different from someone else’s needs. Meditation can be a tool to increase your sports aptitude or your ability to perform at a higher level in the workplace. By removing the clutter in your mind it can help increase memory. Some people use meditation to combat grief or help them overcome some sort of trauma such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Still others meditate for inspiration and creativity. It can also shut down a racing mind providing you with a much needed deep sleep.

What is your reason for meditating? Imagine what the world would be like if everyone took a daily meditation break or two. Do your part. Practice meditation. You’ll feel better for it.

Meditation – An Introduction

Life zooms by at an exhausting rate these days. Things are happening so fast around us that more often than not we lose ourselves in the frantic chaos that is our lives. We seem to be no longer able to assess a situation to come up with a proper course of action. Often we are simply reacting impromptu leaving us to question how we got here.

Our minds were not created to work this way. We all need time to slow things down and just be. If we don’t the stress of our lives will overwhelm us leaving our ability to connect with the people around us in tatters, not only at home but in the workplace also.

Learning how to meditate provides us with an opportunity to be still even for a short time. It allows our mind to focus to the point where calm eases us into an ability to tackle the pressures we encounter daily.

As mentioned in an earlier post, the practice of mediation was initially thought of as a spiritual exercise. Many Eastern religions still incorporate reflection as part of their teachings but as meditation has become a global phenomenon its benefits have gone beyond just being a religious experience. Simply put, you do not have to be religious to meditate.

As more and more of us learn about meditation the reasons for practicing it expand. Studies have been conducted showing that the calm achieved through meditation has helped people cope with their medical issues. Achieving a higher state of awareness can open up doors to thoughts and ideas that lay hidden in your subconscious. Steve Jobs of Apple fame meditates.

If you’ve been wondering if today is the day to start meditation, there is no time like the present. All that stress you encounter needs an outlet, a place where you can just sit, breath and meditate. It’s time to take a pause, collect your thoughts and discover how meditation can help you take back control of your life.

The Beginnings of Meditation

The practice of meditation has actually been around for thousands of years. Although there is no documentation to prove specifically when this technique began, a number of early civilizations came to be the center of the meditative world.

India especially is thought of as the country which first explored the process of reflection. Over several millennia, many a learned Hindi scholar has delved into meditation, from its many methods to its extraordinary benefits. Some widely known Hindi writings are the Vedas as well as the Yoga Exercise Sutras which was composed by Patanjali.

Certainly, the most significant global figure when the topic of meditation as a school of thought comes up is Siddharta Gautama, commonly known as Buddha. In 500 BC, he was able to reach enlightenment using meditative techniques. His prominence in this space led him to be a recognized figure across Asia before finally finding a following in the Western world.

Eastern cultures have embraced meditation for quite some time but it wasn’t until the middle of the 20th century when travelers from the East brought their spiritual practice to the other side of the world that this process of reflection grew to become a part of Western culture.

Today, an increasing number of meditation rooms, as well as personal coaches, are appearing in the West. Buddha and his followers found this form of reflection to be a spiritual journey providing insight into the soul. However, Western meditation practices no longer stress the spiritual nature but rather put forth the many psychological and health benefits meditating can provide. When faced with this busy and chaotic world in which we live taking time away from that to get in touch with your mind and body has become fashionable.

Whether or not you embrace the spiritual side of meditating you will definitely reap the calming effect it can have in your daily life. And, it’s so easy to do. What could be better?