Check Out These 10 Proven Health Benefits of Meditation to Improve Your Life
Meditation is a centuries-old method to create a more balanced life, and it still works today.
I often feel I’m missing something even though I've been meditating for many years, as many of you have. I know there isn't a right or wrong way to do it, but.
That is because my mind frequently wanders. I understand that repeatedly bringing the mind back is vital to meditation, no matter how often it goes astray. I've heard it compared to a puppy who roams — keep bringing her back to the place to "stay."
Wandering is something the mind does and is quite natural. After all, humans were created to think.
Sometimes, I think of meditation as a mediation between the brain that wants to quiet down and my energetic self that wants to accomplish something "important."
Meditation is not a way of making your mind quiet. It’s a way of entering into the quiet that’s already there. — Deepak Chopra, physician, alternative medicine advocate, and author.
Meditation is not navel-gazing. It is a highly effective way of slowing down the mind and body.
It has been established that meditation:
Improves:
- Memory - The immune system - Sleep - Efficiency of oxygen use in the body - Production of the anti-aging hormone DHEA
Decreases:
- Blood pressure and hypertension - Cholesterol - Anxiety and depression - Insomnia - Production of the stress hormones
A Daily Practice
Meditating is what I do first thing in the morning. Maybe not the first thing — I thank God I'm still breathing before anything. Next up is my meditation, still in bed, lying down.
If you're a meditator, what is your preferred time? And what method do you use — guided, a mantra, or perhaps quiet reflection?
There is no right or wrong way — whatever feels comfortable to you is perfect.
I prefer listening to guided meditations as it helps reduce the tendency of my meandering mind.
My favorite guided meds are on two apps: Unplug and Insight Timer.
Unplug charges $8 a month; Insight Timer is free. Both contain dozens of practitioners leading us through reflections on numerous categories:
- Sleep
- Anxiety & Stress
- Happiness & Positivity
- Work & Productivity
- Morning
- Panic Button
- Self-Esteem
- Self-Love
- Mindful Eating
There is one for each of us
The 20-minute meditations by Deepak Chopra are also ones I use. Dr. Chopra gives us a mantra to repeat silently to help us stay in the moment rather than allowing the roving puppy mind to take over.
He charges for these and has special discounts from time to time. I downloaded mine years ago and do not recall the cost. Dr. Chopra offers quite a few categories, usually 21-day programs. You can find them online.
Keep it simple
Many prefer to sit or lie and follow their breath. You may find your mind begins to stray. It's worth repeating that this is normal. When you notice the mind wandering, return to following your breath.
Breathe in, breathe out, repeat. You may count your breaths if you find that helpful.
Also, notice where you are experiencing the breath. Is it in your nose, your chest, or your abdomen? Placing your attention on one of these body parts may help focus.
As with any practice — you will get better over time.
I listened to Oprah Winfrey's interview with Dean Ornish, and he talked about his experience with meditation. He is a world-renowned doctor who saves lives by changing the diets of heart attack patients.
Dr. Ornish was a suicidal young college student when he serendipitously met a swami who introduced him to meditation. The swami explained that nothing could bring us lasting happiness.
It is our nature to be peaceful and happy — we have it already. Yet, we run after all these things without being mindful of this.
If only I had a bigger house, a more luxurious car, more money, and more power, I wouldn't be unhappy and depressed. I'd be content. People would love me — if only.
As Dr. Ornish learned, you realize you already have happiness when you quiet your mind and body through meditation. It's within you — you don't need to chase after it.
Instead, we have a center, a groundedness, and a stillness always there.
Meditation and concentration are the way to a life of serenity. — Ram Dass, contemporary spiritual teacher, psychologist, and author.
No, I am not missing anything. I will continue my daily morning meditation and remember that the straying mind is part of the process.
This practice is essential to having a clear, centered mind and a more balanced life.
If meditation is a part of your life, I'm sure you are also reaping these benefits.