Discover 6 Benefits of Meditation
By Batista Gremaud
Meditation is a mind-body practice with a long history of helping with stress management and improving focus by including mindfulness.
Much research has been done about the power of meditation. According to a compilation of studies, the three types that stand out as the most popular are:
Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness meditation is a type of meditation that is widely practiced in the Western world. It involves focusing on the present moment and being aware of your thoughts, feelings, and sensations.
Transcendental Meditation
Transcendental Meditation is a type of meditation that involves repeating a mantra. It is said to be especially effective in reducing stress and promoting relaxation.
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Prayer
Prayer is a form of meditation that people of all faiths practice. It involves focusing on a higher power and asking for guidance, strength, or healing.
Meditation aims to direct one's attention inward in a way that is both calming and energizing. The benefits of meditation include:
Stress Relief
Meditation is an effective way to reduce stress. Focusing on a single point of reference, such as your breath, a mantra, or a specific word or phrase, helps to clear the mind of other thoughts and worries and enables you to stay in the present moment. Many people who meditate find that applying this technique during stressful times helps them combat anxiety and prevent intrusive thoughts.
In addition, meditation slows down your heart rate and breathing and lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
Enhanced Wellbeing
Meditating trains your mind to become more focused and clear. It reduces negative symptoms and increases positive feelings about yourself, increasing self-esteem and enabling you to make better daily decisions. As you become more emotionally balanced, you also become more resilient and able to cope with challenges more efficiently. You'll experience a profound overall feeling of peace and wellbeing.
Increased Self-Awareness
Meditation is a self-discovery tool that gives insights into who you are, your values, and your beliefs. You become more aware of your physical sensations, which can help you relax and focus on the present moment. It calms the mind and unwinds the body, quieting thoughts and allowing yourself to be present. This can be an opportunity to explore your feelings and get in touch with your innermost beliefs. Meditation can help you understand yourself better.
Improved Focus
A growing body of scientific evidence shows that meditation can improve focus and performance on a task requiring sustained attention.
One study found that students who meditated before taking a test had better attention and focus during the test than those who did not meditate.
Meditation can also help improve focus in people with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). A study found that after eight weeks of mindfulness meditation training, people with ADHD had improved performance on tests of attention and focus.
Increased self-awareness improves your ability to concentrate on the present moment instead of the past or the future, making you more productive. The only time you need to revisit the past is when searching for greater understanding. Similarly, you only need to think about the future when actively planning.
Memory Loss Reduction
Your brain needs frequent breaks to reorganize and file away the information it receives. Daily meditation can provide that break that allows your mind to process, reorganize, and solidify experiences into memories. Aside from daily meditation, make it a point to relax for a few minutes between your various activities.
Better Health
When you reduce stress, it's natural that your mental and physical health will improve. For example, reducing inflammation caused by stress hormones boosts your immune system, making you less prone to illnesses and achieving higher goals in life.
How to Begin
To include a beneficial meditation practice in your daily life, start with 15 minutes per day of meditation by finding a comfortable, quiet place where you will not be interrupted by distractions or disruptions. It is a small investment of time that gives you biofeedback on how you feel about being less stressed and calmer in your body and mind.
As you become accustomed to your meditation routine, you will even be able to meditate in public, in any situation, using the techniques you practiced.
Meet Batista
Batista Gremaud is the CEO and president of Dr. Fitness International. She is an international body designer, strength training expert, and the bestselling author of Feminine Body Design, Empowering Fitness For A Pain-Free Life.
She is also the co-creator of the Feminine Body Design online strength training mentoring system, the co-host of the Esoteric Principles of Bodybuilding, and the producer of the Dr. Fitness USA show.
Additionally, Batista received recognition for the Most Outstanding Fitness Program 2019 from The Winners Circle, Mastermind at Sea.
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