Merits of Meditation

Meditation is one of the five principles of yoga. It is an important tool to achieve mental clarity and health. An overview of the different beginner and advanced meditation techniques will aid in choosing the right meditation exercise for you.

Meditation Background

Research has shown that Meditation can contribute to an individual's psychological and physiological well-being. This is accomplished as Meditation brings the brainwave pattern into an alpha state, which is a level of consciousness that promotes the healing state. As discussed in the section "How does Meditation Work?", there is scientific evidence that Meditation can improve blood pressure and relieve pain and stress. In the coming sections, we have divided the health benefits of meditation in three parts: (1) physiological benefits; (2) psychological benefits; and (3) spiritual benefits.

Physiological Benefits of Meditation

• Deep rest-as measured by decreased metabolic rate, lower heart rate, and reduced work load of the heart.
• Lowered levels of cortisol and lactate-two chemicals associated with stress.
• Reduction of free radicals- unstable oxygen molecules that can cause tissue damage.
• Improved blood pressure.
• Higher skin resistance. Low skin resistance is correlated with higher stress and anxiety levels.
• Drop in cholesterol levels. High cholesterol is associated with cardiovascular disease.
• Improved flow of air to the lungs resulting in easier breathing. This has been very helpful to asthma patients.
• Slows down the aging process.

Psychological Benefits of Meditation

• Increased brain wave coherence.
• Greater creativity.
• Decreased anxiety.
• Decreased depression
• Decreased irritability and moodiness
• Improved learning ability and memory.
• Increased self-actualization.
• Increased feelings of vitality and rejuvenation.
• Increased happiness.
• Increased emotional stability.

Spiritual Benefits of Meditation

The longer an individual practices meditation, the greater the likelihood that his or her goals and efforts will shift toward personal and spiritual growth. Many individuals who initially learn meditation for its self-regulatory aspects find that as their practice deepens they are drawn more and more into the realm of the "spiritual." In her work with many cancer and AIDS patients, Dr. Borysenko has observed that many are most interested in meditation as a way of becoming more attuned to the spiritual dimension of life. She reports that many die "healed," in a state of compassionate self-awareness and self-acceptance.

THE MEANING OF MEDITATION

Many people have a uninformed view of meditation and wonder, “What is meditation and what good can it do me?” While some people may have visions of monks in far off lands sitting together in silence when they think about meditation. Meditation is actually becoming a practice that is quite popular in the Western world among people from all walks of life. If you are not familiar with meditation, you may still be wondering, “What is meditation?” Essentially, the answer to the question is a simple one. Meditation is an approach that anyone can use to help them cope with medical problems, stress, and anxiety by way of thought, contemplation, and reflection.
Meditation encompasses a variety of practices that are somewhat different, while holding to the basic principles of consideration and quiet thought to bring about a state of rumination. Various types of meditation that are recognized include transcendental meditation, prayer, Zen meditation, Taoist meditation, mindfulness meditation, and Buddhist meditation. Some methods of meditation may require the body being absolutely still or to be moved with controlled deliberation, while other types allow for free movement of the body. While the methods are different, the end goal of all types of meditation lead to a mind that is quieted and free from stress by the use of quiet contemplation and reflection.