5 Health Benefits of Meditation

What is Meditation?

Meditation is the method of practicing mindfulness and exercising your mind to be present and in the moment. This can be done through physical or cognitive activities, such as yoga, meditation, and personal interests and hobbies. Meditation stimulates a strong sense of emotional and physical awareness and cognitive clarity. A common myth about meditation is that it must be performed in a seated upright position, with your legs crossed and eyes closed. Although this can be found useful and comfortable for many people practicing mindfulness, it is not necessary for the practice of meditation. Meditation can be practiced in any comfortable position and encouraged to be practiced in an environment that is calming and peaceful. This can be laying down flat, leaning back in a chair, or even in a stretching pose, such as yoga poses. The main goal is to be comfortable and minimally stimulated so that your mind and body can be focused on the present moment. Meditation can have many benefits when practiced regularly and intently.

1. Can Reduce Stress and Anxiety 

When practicing meditation, you are practicing mindfulness. When practicing mindfulness and being in the moment the behavior and pattern of dwelling about the past and worrying about the future reduces. Stress and anxiety are often triggered when we focus and stress about things that happened in the past or what might happen in the future. By focusing on the present, these triggers of stress and anxiety are naturally reduced, and a steady mindset of calmness and content is adapted. When we commit to practicing mindfulness, such as meditation, we are also practicing committing to taking care of ourselves (self-care). When self-care becomes a regular habit, self-esteem and confidence begin to improve as well, and as a result, decrease anxiety and stress. 

1. Can Decrease Blood Pressure and Other Health Concerns

Another result of lowering stress and anxiety, our stress hormones (Cortisol) begin to decrease and therefore so will blood pressure. In times of stress and anxiety, our flight, fight, and freeze response are triggered, which is a survival mechanism, and in return causes our bodies to release high levels of cortisol. Increased cortisol levels can cause heightened blood pressure, fatigue, mood swings, and compromise the immune system, which can lead to other health issues. As meditation is practiced, cortisol levels can begin to drop as quickly as a few weeks of practicing. 

1. Can Improve Concentration

When practicing meditation, there is an emphasis on being present in the moment. It requires authentic concentration to be aware of your thoughts and let them go to be mindful. As you concentrate on being mindful, you are practicing your ability to apply your energy and concentrate on your task. In addition, anxiety and stress also cause difficulty with concentration. As meditation reduces symptoms of anxiety and stress, the ability to concentrate will also begin to improve. 

1. Improve Memory 

As meditation improves concentration, awareness, mental clarity, memory will also continue to improve. Practicing these strengths will begin to become a habit in day-to-day activities and tasks, and build memory strength. The ability to be mindful will help develop the competence to fully grasp information and tasks at will.

1. Better Sleep

As meditation will work to help reduce stress, anxiety, cortisol level, and improve mindfulness, concentration, and self-care, improved sleep will also become a result of meditation. You will begin to build a skill of regularly calming your thoughts, relaxing your body, and lowering your heart rate to fall asleep faster and achieve a deeper sleep. The main cause for difficulty falling and staying asleep is stress, anxiety, and spiked cortisol levels, all of which reduce with meditation.

Factors for Meditation

When practicing meditation, any position or environment can be suitable as long as it aids you in reaching a calming and relaxing state. For beginners, utilizing a video or audio-guided meditation is a great start. Like starting any new habit, it is best to start small/short, such as starting with five-minute guided meditations and working your way up to your desired goal. It can be helpful to close your eyes to eliminate distractions, in addition to finding a quiet place. Following this, bringing your attention to your breath helps practice mindfulness and awareness of your physical sensations. Thoughts will most likely come along, in which the goal is to acknowledge the thought, accept that thought, and allow it to flow away and come back to your mindful state of mind. This will take practice and an open mind to help build the habit and skill. When beginning new hobbies or building new skills, it's important to accept that success is non-linear, and the journey is what teaches us the most.