Benefits of Meditation

 

"I turn on my guided meditation video on YouTube and sit down in the most comfortable position. Hands and feet relaxed, so does my spine. I follow along the instructions. In the beginning, it felt hard to concentrate; several thoughts cluttered my head, but now, with constant practice, it is getting slightly easier to focus. The practitioner chats with me a bit to lull me into a meditative state. Sometimes I fall behind, but I don’t fret and go back to meditating as soon as I realise I’ve lost the track in my head. Slowly, I lose contact with my arms and legs and my bright light, which seems like my third eye, is visible to me. As I focus on the bright spot in the centre of my head, suddenly, the relaxing hormone, I suppose serotonin, spreads through and makes me feel as if I am getting lifted off slightly in the air. As soon as I reach that state, it feels like I have achieved the nothingness of space and the universe. This is where the meditation usually, and unfortunately, comes to an end, and I feel a pang of sadness, for I have to return to my routine and not spend the rest of my day under this canopy of peace and happiness. "

This is my experience of meditation described in a paragraph. Whatever you read ahead of this will be my research and knowledge about the topic. So, be prepared to be hit by a burst of knowledge, but hold firmly onto your own beliefs of meditation. 

I intend to write this blog about meditation with the intent to educate and propagate meditation as an overall solution to our daily stressful lives, and while I’m aware that it may not hugely impact everyone the way I intend to, I’d still like to make an attempt. Here is how mediation affects you.

Meditation is the practice of trying to achieve a state of mind where one feels relaxed and calm. Like everything, it is an exercise. The concept of transcendence is not easily achieved through one or two times of practice. This needs years of constant application, just as it would need years of practice to achieve a healthy body. From personal experience, my meditative states are extremely relaxing, so much so that I lose sensation in all my body parts and go into a mental state so relaxing it feels transcendental. And although I have a long way to go to achieve a transcendental state as described in Hindu scriptures, I still feel most relaxed in the morning when I start my day. After continuously doing it for 5 months now, I’d say I have started to see the benefits right now. Every day, I wake up in the same bed, do my meditation in the same spot and see the benefits in the same area. Lately, I travelled a week or so ago to a completely different region and expected my state of mind to be disturbed because of a new routine, but it turned out that my days felt no different and, in contrast, showed me a new perspective altogether. I've heard that location has memory, but I felt no difference in doing it in new places. I suppose I have finally done it so many times that it has transcended past that and let me achieve peace and calmness in a way that allows and wants me to wake up every morning to do my meditation as soon as I wake up. If you were curious, here is what research says about meditation. 

• Lowers high blood pressure
• Lowers the levels of blood lactate, reducing anxiety attacks
• Decreases any tension-related pain, such as tension headaches, ulcers, insomnia, muscle, and joint problems
• Increases serotonin production that improves mood and behaviour
• Improves the immune system
• Improves sleep

If I haven't persuaded you yet, let me spell it out for you. Try it, it is good for you. Mediation, by my account and a lot of researchers' accounts, is a mental practice where an individual exercises their mind to have a state of focus, to train attention, and to create self-awareness. The goals of meditation are to attain a state of consciousness that is mentally clear and emotionally calm. It is more important than ever to start the day calmly since your entire day depends on it. 

“Distractions are everywhere. Notice what takes your attention, acknowledge it, and then let it go.” 

-Headspace