Meditation/Mindfulness Meditation
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Meditation
There are many different practices that involve relaxing the body and stilling the mind. They have origins in all corners of the globe from India and China to Japan and Tibet. Meditation is practiced in most cultures throughout the world where prayer, ritual, or contemplation are used for relaxation. It is practiced individually or in groups.
Through meditation the body is able to relax and allow natural healing to occur. It can be beneficial to everyone.It has been found that those who meditate use medical care/interventions 30-87% less than those who do not in all areas, other than childbirth.
When practicing meditation, the mind reaches a greater physical relaxation, mental calmness, and psychological balance.
Some benefits include:
- Decreased respiration rate
- Increased blood flow to the heart and lowered heart rate
- Bringing BP to normal if BP is high
- Improved post-operative healing
- Enhanced Immune System
- Reduced Pre-Menstrual Syndrome
- Reduced Anxiety
Mindfulness Meditation is a form of quieting the mind that is sweeping the country. There are broad indications for its effectiveness with multiple patient populations to facilitate healing and comfort. Further, there are implications for the positive impact of mindfulness mediation on relationships – from couples to multi-national companies.
Mindfulness Meditation…when the practice of doing nothing is healing
By definition, mindfulness is the natural state of living moment by moment. As a practice, it is the becoming aware of each moment and of one’s experience within each moment without judgment. Many of us live in the past worrying, fretting, or ruminating about what was or was not done or said. At other times, the focus is on the future thinking about what will, might, or should happen. Most stress originates from this past or future thinking.
Through mindfulness we learn to become more and more familiar with our minds and with their various movements which we call “thoughts.” It is through such familiarity that we can become increasingly aware of how we allow our minds to take us out of the present and into areas of stress or disharmony.
Our goal with mindfulness is to achieve a mind that is stable and calm. This calmness or harmony is actually a natural state of being for the mind. Through practice we are able to sit peacefully with our minds without struggle, feeling naturally content.
