Why Meditate?

Meditation is a tradition several hundreds of years old, developed and practiced in ancient India and China. It is an incredibly powerful tool and one that the Western world is just starting to understand the benefits of.

There are many different ways to meditate such as focusing on breathwork, clearing your mind of thoughts or focusing on one idea. There are also walking meditations and guided meditation where you follow a series of instructions or a story. It may benefit you to do some research as to the type of meditation that you find most helpful.

More to the point, why meditate? What exactly does it do for you? For your mind and your body?

1. Accessible- One of the wonderful things about meditation is that it is completely at our disposal. There is nothing else with such clear mental benefits that requires so little in terms of outside support. All you need is yourself.
2. Focus- Meditation helps improve focus and concentration. The practice of meditating trains our brains to focus longer and with greater ease. Meditation helps you to tune out distracting thoughts and gain better concentration when you need it.
3. Mindfulness- Mindfulness is the ability to be fully present in any moment. It is a satisfying state of awareness. It is a lot like focus in that it is a state free from distractions, however mindfulness is about noticing the small things all around you and feeling connected to your surroundings. Meditation can help you reach states of mindfulness more quickly and stay in them longer.
4. Stress-Relief- Meditation is designed to calm your mind and can be used to combat stress, anxiety and frustration. Spending a few minutes meditating when you’re feeling overwhelmed can give you an improved sense of peace and balance. Continued meditation practice can leave you feeling more grounded and patient.
5. Improved Health- Research shows that meditation can lower your blood pressure, improve pain response and even reduce the amount of stress hormones in your body. Meditation also encourages other healthy habits. Meditation has even been suggested as additional treatment for patients with everything from irritable bowel syndrome to cancer.
6. Mood-Booster- Many people find that they are able to enter a dreamy euphoric state while practicing meditation. This may not happen every time or for everyone. Meditation does have a proven impact on mood. It has been shown to decrease symptoms of anxiety and depression, in one study even as much as medication.

Hopefully these points have convinced you to give meditation a try. Even if you have tried it before I encourage you to try it again and experiment with different kinds of meditation. For more information on how I use meditation in Creative Life Coaching schedule a free information session. Hope to hear from you soon! https://calendly.com/blazingsun/30min

Laura Kwasniewski, M.S.

Citation Links

https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/meditation/in-depth/meditation/art-20045858

What meditation can do for your mind, mood, and health - Harvard Health

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/30/meditation-health-benefits_n_3178731.html