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The Many Benefits Of Meditation

We live in a busy world with lots of distractions and noise; we are constantly inundated with information and stimulation. With so many different external stimuli, it can be difficult to find peace and achieve a state of balance because the mind is frequently analyzing and churning away. If the mind is not at peace, the body will often be in a state of unease that prevents it from properly repairing and rejuvenating itself. It’s important that we use tools to help bring us back to balance, to help us quiet our minds and allow our bodies to enter a state of rest and relaxation. Meditation is one such tool that can, and ideally should, be used on a regular basis.

So what exactly is meditation? A helpful definition is that meditation encompasses a variety of practices that are somewhat different, while holding to the same basic principles: consideration and quiet thought to bring about a state of rumination. Some methods of meditation may require the body to be absolutely still, while there are other types that allow for free movement of the body. The end goal of all styles of meditation is a mind that is quieted and free from stress, via the use of quiet contemplation and reflection. [Link]

Now that you have a proper definition, you might be wondering what some of the specific benefits of meditation are. To name a few: meditation can help improve sleep; it can reduce depression and help relieve stress by providing emotional balance; it can strengthen the immune system, it can lower blood pressure; it may provide a greater sense of clarity; tension and body pain can be reduced; headaches can be alleviated. This is only an abbreviated list of the numerous other significant results of meditation.

Many times, patients at Above & Beyond Acupuncture will inquire about the type and duration of meditation that is used by the practitioners here, and which would be recommended to use. Personally speaking, I spend anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes every morning seated on my couch with my eyes closed and my feet crossed, as this is the position I am most comfortable with. I close my eyes; take deep breaths in with my nose and out through my mouth. I don’t attempt to control my thoughts; rather I allow whatever thoughts enter my consciousness to remain there. I will look at them to see what they are and why they are there.

Often I find that once I provide acknowledgement, my thoughts will disappear and I will enter a state where none are present. While this type of meditation works well for me, I recommend that each person do some research and find a method that he or she would find appealing, easy to learn and achievable. As for the length of time in meditation, in my experience, there will be days when you will be able to sit for twenty minutes and other days that you will only be able to be still for two minutes. Regardless of the amount of time, it is the effort that counts, as two minutes of meditation is better than none.