Meditation has many benefits for mind, body, and spirit. While much of the evidence is anecdotal, more and more scientific and medical research is proving that meditation does good things for us individually and as a society.
As I stated in Part 1 of this series, meditation helps to reduce stress, improve health, and has an overall positive effect on well-being. People who regularly meditate report a greater sense of calmness in their everyday lives. They are less reactive to daily stresses and tend to feel less overwhelmed when problems arise. The Mayo Clinic has written extensively about these effects.
While meditation does not have its origin in stress reduction or any medical field, it is becoming a popular technique for promoting a healthy lifestyle in many hospital and clinic settings. At Sage Meditation we have helped chaplains at several prisons, therapists at addiction treatment centers, and researchers studying the use of meditation in smoking cessation programs to acquire meditation cushions for their clients. The results are encouraging, though regular practice is essential.
Meditation was first used as part of spiritual practice among monks. Calming the mind, it is believed, allows us to hear God, the Universe, or our Inner Being. However we label this experience, meditation takes us to a state of consciousness that allows us to experience something different from our day-to-day thoughts. Some describe this in vivid ways:
- Bliss
- Levitating
- Out of body experience
- Euphoria
- Expansion of the mind beyond the physical realm
These are simply descriptions of what people sense when they reach a deeper level of meditation. Not everyone has these sensations, though everyone benefits from regular practice. If you are meditating and don’t think it’s “working,” keep going. One day you will realize that changes have occurred.
The benefits of a regular meditation practice include:
- Healing benefits — lowered blood pressure and cholesterol
- Reduced stress and burnout
- Enhanced concentration and memory
- More harmonious and loving relationships
- Improved creativity and problem-solving
- Decreased depression, anxiety, and insomnia
I strongly feel that the benefits of a regular meditation practice could serve to change the world. Meditation takes more effort than popping a pill, but its effects are longer lasting and it will not simply mask over the problems in our lives. I believe it is a real solution.
In Part 3, I get into practical techniques for practicing meditation.
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