Meditation benefits and how it can improve our lives, physically, mentally and spiritually

Meditation has been practised for many centuries for different reasons but was mostly for the purpose of reaching spiritual enlightenment. Today, however, in an age full of stress and tension, the benefits of meditation have far-reaching effects on the mind and body where it’s possible to get rid of anxiety to live a better and healthier life. Our present-day lifestyles have created so much havoc that is directly related to diseases we tend to suffer from such a high blood pressure and heart problems, all of which are linked to chronic stress. The primary benefits of meditation that can be categorized as spiritual, mental and physical can be practised in order to gain the inner calm necessary to clear the mind and help control one’s thoughts and actions.

Although its believed that followers of many religions used to meditate in ancient times to get a better understanding of what life is all about, there does not have to be any religious connotations in meditation because the practice of this ancient art is done for the purpose of developing a greater understanding of oneself and to bring harmony to the body and mind. The method of doing so, however, can be based on the religion one practices although this is not mandatory. Followers of different religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism, however, have made it a part of their religion through which they hope to gain spiritual awareness as well as inner peace in order to attain a level of spirituality that is not possible without deep meditation.

Mental benefits of meditation are what most people look for especially in order to derive the immense relief it can bring them from stress and anxiety. When one learns to meditate properly, mind and body resonate in harmony with the bad karma flowing away and bringing in good thoughts and a peaceful state of mind that helps to look at life more serenely and with less confusion. Reaching a true level of meditation means being able to look beyond the irrelevant and useless aspects of our daily lives and concentrate on what is really important. Many who practice meditation find not only an improvement in their memory but also are able to achieve higher levels of energy and an ability to concentrate better. Today, meditation is used in many healthcare centres to cure mental illness by the simple act of reducing stress and bringing down levels of anxiety in the patient.

Benefits of meditation do not stop at spiritual and mental needs but carry on to physical benefits as well which are as extensive as the other two. What we should realize is that most illnesses are linked to our fast-paced lifestyles that create constant anxiety resulting in our stress levels rising high. This can cause our levels of energy to drop and our immune systems to work sluggishly leaving us wide open to infection and with less tolerance to disease. When you start meditation and reaches a stage where it’s possible to wipe out everything on your mind, a strange phenomenon takes place in your body. Your rate of breathing decreases resulting in your heart rate slowing and your blood pressure lowering. When this happens, your muscles start to relax making it possible for you to think clearly and for your mood to improve dramatically.

You will find that most people in high profile careers have taken to meditation not only to keep stress at bay but also to improve their lifestyles. Doctors today advice patients that have to undergo surgical procedures to meditate before and after to help them through the operation and to recover faster. All this goes to show the benefits of meditation and how it can be used to enhance our lives both mentally and physically and if relevant, spiritually as well.