Do you feel stressed? Do you have anxiety issues or tension? Are you worried?
Have you considered trying meditation for the same? Spending just a few minutes in meditation can help you to restore calm and internal peace.
Fortunately, meditation is not rocket science and hence anyone can practice it. Above all, it is cost-free and it doesn't require any special tools.
Practising Meditation dates thousands of years back. Though earlier meditation was meant to deepen understanding of self and world. Also, it used to be about leaving worldly pleasure. However, now meditation has become a stress buster or relaxation activity.
Meditation can be understood as a medicine that works for both mind and body. During meditation, we focus our attention and cancel out external stimuli and even our own disturbing thoughts. This results in enhanced physiological and emotional wellness.
The benefits of Meditation are endless it gives you a sense of peace, calmness and clarity or balance in life. It helps one to have improved attention and concentration. It also helps in anger management, building tolerance and patience. Reduction in negative emotions and increased self-awareness could also be gained as a result of regular meditation practice. It has proved to be the saviour for those having anxiety issues, panic attacks and even depression. It serves useful in managing sleep disorders like insomnia or in general improvises sleeping experience.
Meditation might also work in other health conditions other than psychological, especially ones caused due to stress like hypertension, and blood pressure. It has been found to be helpful for asthma patients since it involves focused breathing. Few researchers suggest that meditation helps in combating cancer, chronic pain and migraine. Meditation is definitely not a replacement for medical treatment but rather a useful addition.
There are many types of meditation and relaxation techniques that have meditation components. All share the same goal of achieving inner peace.
- Guided imagery: In this method of meditation one forms mental images of places or situations they find relaxing like riverside or mountains etc. You may go through this process with a guide or expert.
- Chanting: In this type, one has to repeat a calming word, thought or phrase it can be religious such as OM or any positive affirmations.
- Mindful meditation: In this kind of meditation one has to become mindful or try to have an increased level of conscious awareness and acceptance of the present.
- Focused breathing: This is just a literal one. In this meditation, one has to focus on the flow of their own breath on every inhale and exhale. With every inhale-exhale cycle, you leave thoughts aside and just relax.
There is how you can start:
All you need is to sit at a quiet place in a comfortable position, focus on your breathing, breathe deeply and let your thoughts pass through your mind without being stuck.
You need not judge your meditation skills, they get built with continuous practice. However, it is common for the human mind to wander in spite of how long you've been practising meditation. You may experiment to find what type of meditation works best for you. Remember, there is no correct or incorrect way to meditate. It is important that meditation helps you feel better than before.