Benefits of Meditating

 Intro:

 It’s only recently caught on in the Western world as people have begun to recognize its benefits in stress reduction and overall health. While you may associate meditation with spirituality or religion, you can actually reap many physical and mental health benefits through simple daily meditation practice. Here are just 10 of them.

 

1)      Mindfulness and calmness

Sitting still and focusing your attention on nothing but your breathing is a great way to cultivate mindfulness. Many people think meditation means emptying your mind, but that’s not at all what it’s about. It can be difficult to just breathe when you’re bombarded with thoughts, worries, and anxieties every day. But meditating every day can help you quiet those noises and start feeling calmer in daily life. That will make it easier to get things done, as well as set you up for success if you’re one of many people looking for relaxation or stress relief.

 

2)      Improved focus

Meditation has been shown to improve attention, memory, and cognitive function. And if you’re having trouble focusing on your tasks, meditation can help. While you meditate, practice keeping your mind focused on one thing. As soon as other thoughts pop up, let them go and return to your focus point. By training yourself to concentrate on a single task for longer periods, meditation can make it easier for you to focus in everyday life—and even take steps toward achieving mindfulness! If you’re new to meditation or just want a refresher course on how it works, read our Introduction to Meditation.

 

3)      Stress relief

Meditation is one of the easiest ways to naturally manage stress. A 2004 review study published in Annals of Internal Medicine compared multiple strategies for managing stress and found that meditation was most commonly reported to be helpful and had the greatest acceptance by patients. Research has shown that meditation can result in both a faster recovery time from a stressful event as well as help us handle future stressful situations more effectively. And remember, not only does stress affect our minds but also our bodies, so learning how to relax through mediation can help us stay healthier overall.

 

4)      Release negative emotions and tension

With your mind free from worry, you’ll naturally feel more positive and clear-headed. This can boost your mood and make you happier—an outcome that can help improve your quality of life in so many ways. One study even found that meditation may help curb depression symptoms. But that’s not all: Several studies have also linked meditation to lower levels of stress, anxiety, and fatigue. The practice has also been shown to boost energy levels and strengthen immune function among cancer patients. One report even suggested it may be helpful for those struggling with psoriasis.

 

5)      Getting in touch with your emotions and body

Mindfulness meditation requires you to tune into your body and emotions—the opposite of what most people do. Learning how to meditate involves two important elements: awareness and acceptance. When you’re aware that your mind is wandering, or that you’re feeling anxious or stressed, for example, you can then make a conscious choice about how to respond to these thoughts and feelings instead of letting them consume you. Over time, mindfulness teaches us to respond with more self-awareness and compassion; it helps us take charge of our reactions rather than letting them control us (in short: it makes you more mindful). Learn more about these benefits in Mindfulness Meditation: How to Start Your Journey.

 

6)      Improved self-esteem and confidence

One study, published in Consciousness and Cognition, found that for eight weeks, participants who practiced mindfulness meditation showed more improvement in anxiety symptoms compared to a control group. Meditation is also linked with greater self-esteem and confidence, according to two other studies (1 2). A 2017 analysis published in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience also linked meditative practice with increased empathy for others. In addition to these cognitive benefits, meditation has also been associated with decreased inflammation and stress reactivity as well as improved working memory capacity.

 

7)      Increased concentration ability

Just like we get better at any physical activity when we practice, meditation will make us more focused in our daily lives and, as a result, better at everything from working to sports. A study showed that just 20 minutes of mindfulness meditation each day helped people improve their performance on an attention task by 40%. In other words, you’ll have laser-like focus. Just try not to think about lasers while you meditate!

 

8)      Healthier choices

Meditation can help improve self-control and make it easier to say no to unhealthy foods and other temptations. Mindfulness meditation also has been linked with improved focus, productivity, empathy, creativity, and the ability to calm yourself in stressful situations. Finally, practicing meditation regularly can reduce your stress levels overall. All these benefits are compounded when you meditate regularly for 20 minutes or more at a time.

 

9)      Better sleep and improved energy levels

Improved sleep can result from mindfulness training. A study by researchers at Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital showed that people with chronic insomnia had decreased activity in their default mode network after an eight-week mindfulness program. This is significant because it means that meditation may actually help create new pathways in your brain, which translates to better overall mental health and improved sleep. If you’re trying to improve your sleeping habits but meditating doesn’t seem like something you could see yourself doing every night, try downloading a guided meditation app for beginners on your phone or tablet. Or try listening to soothing music instead, which has also been shown to reduce stress and anxiety levels. (4)

 

10   Peaceful mind, peaceful life

Meditation is one of those practices that can be truly transformative when practiced regularly. It’s a great way to clear your mind, connect with your body and relieve stress and anxiety. In today’s day and age, it’s easy to feel rushed and overwhelmed by our busy schedules. We often forget to prioritize self-care but meditation is one simple way to help restore balance. Try incorporating regular meditation into your daily routine. You may just find that you have more energy, increased focus,, and an overall feeling of peace about everything going on in your life.

10 Benefits of Meditating