Meditation is one of those things that people either love or hate. People who meditate regularly are quick to evangelize the benefits of meditation and how it has changed their lives. However, just as strong are the voices of those who have tried meditation and hated it. They say it is boring and a waste of time. It can be difficult to know who to believe and what role meditation can play in a wellness journey.
What Is Meditation
Meditation is more than just sitting in a dark room and breathing. It is the practice of calming the mind and body.
This helps to achieve clarity because we are able to observe what is happening internally and the impact that it is having. The immediate benefits of meditation are a sense of relaxation and focus. With practice, meditation practitioners are able to access their meditative mindset outside of a meditation session too.
The Benefits of Meditation
Meditation focuses primarily on the brain, but it benefits more than just our mind because of the role our brain plays in our overall health. The brain is the most powerful organ in the human body. It creates memories, impacts our alertness and awareness, and regulates our emotions. These functions are all necessary for not just our survival but our personal development.
That being said, after the age of 27, the human brain decays on average by 5% every decade. Studies have shown that the rate of decay is much higher for those with chronic stress or high levels of fear or anger. Presently, doctors cannot slow or fix this brain decay. What we can do is prevent our brains from decaying at faster rates due to stress or negative emotions. Let’s look at how the benefits of meditation can improve our longevity.
Meditation relaxes the brain: Meditation teaches us how to calm our minds so we can focus. This is helpful for our meditation practice, but with regular practice, we are able to recognize stress and calm our minds down. We can stop the racing thoughts in their tracks and clear our minds so we can focus on the situation at hand.
Meditation increases happiness: Meditation stimulates our feel-good hormone, dopamine. When done correctly, you will feel a sense of peace and happiness during and immediately following meditation. With regular meditation practice, that happiness will last the whole day.
Meditation helps us get in touch with our spirit: Meditation clears our mind and lets us get in touch with ourselves on a spiritual level. It puts us in touch with our inner reservoir of joy and peace, which is energizing.
Meditation supports your daily life: Meditation lowers stress levels which can affect every aspect of our lives. Stress affects our energy levels, irritability, and sleep – all of which create a vicious cycle that leads to more stress. Meditation breaks that cycle and ensures we are in the best condition and mindset for anything that life brings.
Meditation increases productivity: Meditation improves focus and clears the mind, which leads to more efficient problem-solving. One of the benefits of meditation that people often praise is that they are able to get more done in the day because they are able to think clearly.
The longer you practice meditation, the more those benefits spread to every aspect of your life. You become overall calmer and happier, which makes it easier to deal with problems as they arise.
How to Start a Meditation Practice
Unfortunately, many people give up their meditation practice before they can see the full benefits of a regular practice. If you find that your mind goes berserk when you sit down to meditate, you are not alone. That is the main reason people quit meditation.
The best way to start a meditation practice is to seek guided meditation. A teacher will teach you healthy meditation practices as you meditate. They will talk you through techniques to clear your mind and improve your focus so that you learn the correct techniques from the start. You will see the benefits of meditation much quicker because you are using the correct techniques, and therefore you will want to continue meditating. Here are some free guided meditations to get you started.
Another common mistake that people make when starting a meditation practice is they try to meditate for long periods of time. Even meditation instructors do not meditate for hours every single day. Raja Sadasivam, an Art of Living meditation instructor, breaks his meditation practice into two 20-minute sessions. These two shorter meditation sessions allow him to easily fit meditation into his schedule, no matter how busy his day is. He tries to fit meditation in at the start of the day so that he starts his day with the right mindset, but the 20-minute session makes it easier to find time during the day if needed.
Sahaj Samadhi Meditation
If you are looking to start meditation for the first time or restart your practice, try Sahaj Samadhi meditation. It is an ancient practice that is based on knowledge of how the mind reacts to external stimulants, especially sound. Sahaj Samadhi practitioners use mantras and sound to relax and focus the mind. This provides a deeper relaxation during meditation. It also has the added bonus of creating a “shortcut” that practitioners can use to access that relaxed state in their daily life. They can use the mantra or sounds to calm their mind and achieve focus during stressful situations.
This article is inspired by a conversation with Raja Sadasivam on the It’s a Journey podcast. Listen to the full episode here to learn more about Sahaj Samadhi meditation and how to start a healthy meditation practice. Start meditating today with these free guided meditations in the Ujjivati Community. They are perfect for beginners looking to experience the benefits of meditation from their very first session.
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