Meditation
I used to be the first person to roll my eyes whenever anyone talked about meditation. Why would you just sit there, get up and make something happen was my attitude. Then I started hearing about people who had been through traumatic events and how it helped them heal. Then I heard about people who felt it calmed their mind. The stories of people being helped intrigued me.
It is an interesting journey we all go on. It is funny how sometimes the things you are the most resistant to are the things you end up enjoying the most. The benefits of meditation are many. More than we have listed here. I encourage you to get curious about meditation. Your curiosity will take you down a path. Your path will probably be very different than anyone else’s. That is why they call it a journey.
I would encourage you to embrace anything that you find uncomfortable. My experience has been that the place where you are uncomfortable is where all the good stuff is. Enjoy the trip. Some will dig really deep and get very involved in the meditation world. Others will dip in and out. Some are seeking more meaning and some kind of enlightenment.. Some are just trying to calm their mind
The important thing is that you get out of it what you need. It is an individual journey. I think the real reason we are all here is because we are looking to live better lives. To maybe have it mean a little bit more. It is your journey. No one else will have the same journey as you. Just enjoy the ride.
Here are some of the benefits we at Kind Nice Happy have found and a little bit of science mixed in to support these findings. The last one is probably the most important.
- Decreases depression– A study in Belgium found that students who followed an in class mindfulness program reported reduced levels of depression, anxiety and stress up to 6 months later.
- Increases your focus, attention and ability to perform under stress– A University of California study showed that students were more able to keep focused. Another study showed that with only 20 minutes of meditation students improved their scores on cognitive skills. In some cases the meditation students scores were 10 times better than students who did not meditate.
- Enhances self awareness– Many practitioners of meditation claim to have a better understanding of themselves. With this new awareness individual practitioners report a greater ability to deal with others. Many claim that they are better able to deal with loneliness.
- Stress relief– For many, meditation can be a quick stress relief. Many are able to relax and work through stressful situations after meditation.
- Ability to deal with pain-In a University of Montreal study 13 Zen Masters and 13 comparable non practitioners were exposed to heat pain. The meditation masters reported lower levels of pain. MRI scans showed that the Zen Masters were receiving the pain, but they were processing it differently.
A Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center study reported that 15 volunteers who did not practice meditation attended 4, 20 minute classes to study meditation. They were then exposed to heat pain and they reported a 40% reduction in their pain. For comparison, patients on morphine report an average of 25% reduction in pain.
6. Attention Span Increases-Studies have shown that regular practitioner of meditation are able to stay focused on a task longer than non-practitioners.
7. Improves Memory– In the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease a study was reported where the patients studied Kundalini Yoga and they found that the practitioners had memory and cognitive improvements. One of the researches said meditation is like going to the gym for the brain
8. Reduces the Risk of Heart Disease and Stroke-A 2012 took 200 high risk stroke and heart disease patients and introduced them to Transcendental Meditation Program. Over a 5 year follow up period they found their was a 48% reduction in risk versus the control group. This reduction was attributed to lower blood pressure and lower stress levels.
9. Improves Sleep-In 2015 there was a study where middle aged people suffering from insomnia were introduced to a meditation program. After six weeks the participants reported less fatigue, insomnia and depression at the end of the trial.
10. Fosters Creativity-In a study in the Netherlands participants were introduced to Open Monitoring Meditation(OM). This is a form of meditation where the meditator’s awareness is focused on the feelings, thoughts or sensations that are currently present in one’s body. The participants were then given tasks and asked to come up with creative solutions. The participants following OM performed better when they were asked to come up with creative solutions.
11. Increase Will Power-Mental Discipline developed through meditation may help people stay focused during stressful times. It has been thought that this increased discipline may help individuals who are struggling with addiction and self control problems.
12. Reduces Blood Pressure– The slowed breathing and calming effect of meditation is associated with lowering blood pressure in meditation practitioners.
13. Reduces the Effects of Traumatic Events-Practitioners of Trancendental Meditation are able to detach themselves from traumatic events and find inner peace and calm in their lives.
14. Better Relationships-Meditation practitioners report having more compassion with others. By “slowing things down” they are able to look at situations from all angles, not just from their own point of view. Many report improved relationships because of this.
15. Kindness to Others-Studies have shown that people who meditate have more
16. Greater Happiness-Meditiation has been associated with increased levels of endorphins and serotonin. What many consider the happy chemicals. More importantly, most practitioners report themselves as happy people and we think that is the best reason to practice meditation
Give meditation a try. You won’t be perfect at it and it won’t solve all of your problems, but I think if you continue you will be awarded with the many benefits that some of the oldest cultures in the world enjoy.
