Do you have the feeling that something is lacking in your life? Are you somewhat disconnected from the world around you?
Are you feeling unbalanced with your work and personal life, but you aren’t sure how to connect the two?
Maybe you have a sense of discontent in your decisions so far in life, and you aren’t happy with the way things turned out for you. If any of these are the case, you are not alone as millions of people suffer from these thoughts daily.
There is one tried-and-true method to banish these feelings of discontent that doesn’t require prescribed medication or anything physically strenuous – instead, it’s a peaceful solution and one that requires you to get in touch with your inner self, make peace with them and live your life in a happy overall place. This solution? Meditation.
Meditation has been practiced for centuries in various forms in various cultures, and studies have shown the benefits that it can produce, when practiced correctly and routinely, to your overall well-being. Want to know what exactly the benefits of meditation to your overall well-being could be? Then keep reading!
Meditation Can Reduce Stress
You know that feeling when everything is going right, and you know today is going to be a good day; that you are mentally and physically prepared to handle whatever challenges are thrown your way?
Meditation offers that feeling every single day when practiced regularly.
The art of meditation has shown in studies to reduce the density of the brain tissue where stress can originate.
The reduction of stress can impact both physical and mental health as stress can drain the body and the mind. Stress can cause mood swings, insomnia, and increase aches and pain felt throughout the body due to increased tension in the muscles.
Meditation Increases your Connectivity and Empathy
The regular practice of meditation, especially a style called Metta Meditation, targets the areas of the brain that are associated with empathy and compassion.
This style of meditation opens up positive feelings whenever you have a social interaction, which can lead to stronger relationships.
Healthy and strong relationships of all natures have a positive influence on one’s mood and increase their support systems for when life throws curveballs your way.
Meditation Improves Focus
Continuous meditation trains your brain to focus on the present and not the past or the future. This training will apply to your daily life and allow you to retain memories, both short and long term.
A greater focus will lead to a better work ethic, and information storage becomes easier over the course of your meditation practice.
Simple tasks at both work and home will become easier when you have a greater focus as memory recall, along with memory retention is at a higher rate. Stress levels, which can have both negative physical and mental effects, will be reduced.
Increase Heart Health
Studies conducted on those who perform a daily meditation routine have shown an increase in blood circulation and lower blood pressure over those that didn’t practice any routines at all.
People who play high contact sports increase their blood pressure due to adrenaline rushes, but people who practice meditation lower their blood pressure; reducing the strain that is felt in the heart.
Improves the Immune System
Some studies, while the results have been disputed, have shown an increase of lymphocytes throughout the body which boosts a person’s immune system so that it is stronger to fight off disease.
There have been cancer patients who have shown an improvement in their condition after adapting a meditation routine, but these results have been disputed by some medical professionals.
Reduces Anxiety
Those who suffer from anxiety disorders, both mild to severe, have spoken out about how meditation helps decrease their symptoms and gain a more positive outlook on life.
There is something about the repetitive steps and mental focus when it comes to meditation that lowers anxiety levels, which can be extremely useful in the case of an anxiety attack.
Improves Sleep Quality
Everyone knows the danger of not enough sleep – mood swings, chronic pain, tension headaches, increased stress, lower memory function, etc. – but the regular use of meditation just before bed can get a person in touch with their inner self.
This inner acceptance and the feeling of being connected to oneself lower all the factors that could be causing them to lose sleep on a nightly basis.
Self-Love
One of the most important benefits that come from incorporating meditation into your daily routine would have to be getting in touch with your inner self and making peace with who you are.
This inner peace in yourself leads to acceptance of who you are, allowing you to love yourself unconditionally and without apology for being exactly who you want to be.
Conclusion
Meditation is not the type of thing that is practiced as a fad or practiced because other people are doing it.
When a person practices a form of meditation; they truly want to connect with themselves on a deeper level and gain a sense of peace not only in that timeframe but throughout their daily routines.
Meditation can be enhanced using a few tools, such as:
- Dim lighting,
- Comfy, soft pillows surrounding the body,
- A place in the home where they feel peace and will not be distracted from any type of interruption (family, friends, telephones, televisions, etc.), and
- A low-noise essential oil diffuser that effectively disperses oil throughout the room for a relaxing scent that seeps into the soul.
Try a variety of meditation techniques to narrow down the best one for you and don’t be discouraged if one method doesn’t work the way you want it to.
Customize a meditation routine by adapting habits or styles from all forms of meditation to find the one that works right for you. It isn’t a race but instead, a lifestyle change.