Daily life is very short on pixie dust or genies in a bottle. Regulating stress and anxiety, living authentically, and finding our life’s purpose are daunting explorations. Yet there is one tool available that is akin to grown-up magic. Meditation helps us obtain mental clarity, emotional calmness, and a state of relaxation. Best of all, the practice is available to everyone, beginning today, and absolutely free.  

 

Pulse Check

What do you think of when you hear the word meditation? For some, the idea, let alone the practice, feels foreign and far out. For others, it is a fleeting thought and belief of “I can’t sit still that long.” Or, “I’m no good at it.” Although the ritual of consistently meditating would not be described as an American staple, the benefits of having a meditation routine are truly otherworldly. 

 

In this article we will explore the effects of adopting a daily meditation regimen. The focus will be on how this introspective implementation is easy and, almost always, highly beneficial. 

We will explore:  

  • What is Meditation
  • 5 Stress Reduction Benefits of Meditation
  • 5 Physical Benefits of Meditation
  • 5 Ways Meditation Helps Us Find Our True Purpose
  • 5 Unexplained Positive Effects of Meditation
  • 5 Steps to Get You Started

 

What is Meditation?

In its most basic aspects, meditation is a habit of participating in a somatic experience with one’s self. Introduced to mainstream Americans in the 1950’s, this ancient practice originated in the Eastern hemispheres of the earth. Meditation was first used by Hindus, Buddhists, as well as those who practiced the Tao and Jainism, to seek:

deep states of contemplation

understanding of one’s self and the universe

mindfulness 

concentration 

enlightenment

harmony within one’s self and the universe

cultivation of internal energy 

connection to nature 

self-discipline 

 

 

5 Stress Reduction Benefits of Meditation

  1. Lowers Cortisol Levels: The stress hormone cortisol, when in overdrive, can wreak havoc on the body. Meditation reduces cortisol levels and promotes a sense of emotional calm and relaxation.In effect, it creates a space between what we are feeling and how we handle situations. Basically, it increases our capacity to choose how we feel instead of acting from fear.
  2. Reduces Symptoms of Anxiety: Mindfulness significantly decreases anxiety levels. In particular, mindfulness meditation helps manage anxiety by promoting relaxation and a sense of presence. It helps ground us in the here and now, instead of a traumatic event in the past, or an envisioned chaotic future.
  3. Improves Emotional Regulation: Meditation improves emotional regulation by making us less reactive to stressful situations. Specifically, when we learn to detach from our emotions, it helps us not to identify with every feeling, as we are having it.
  4. Enhances Resilience: Regular meditation builds psychological resilience. Correspondingly, after establishing a discipline of meditation, individuals find they have developed an internal safe space they can go to cope with stress and adversity.
  5. Decreases Symptoms of Depression: Meditating decreases the symptoms of depression and anxiety. Markedly, when individuals have a consistent regimen of not attaching negative beliefs about themselves to negative thoughts or feelings they are having, this allows them to rewrite the stories they previously attributed to those emotions.

 

5 Physical Benefits of Meditation

  1. Reduces Blood Pressure: Meditating regularly  helps lower blood pressure by relaxing the blood vessels and reducing heart rate. For instance, the American Heart Association acknowledges these benefits and emphasizes how meditation supports cardiovascular health.
  2. Improves Sleep Quality: A study published in Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Internal Medicine found that mindfulness meditation improves sleep quality and reduces insomnia symptoms in older adults. Perhaps this benefit is due to decreased stress levels and deep compassion gained for oneself when actively meditating. 
  3. Enhances Immune System: Immune systems receive a significant boost from meditation. For example, research in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine show meditation increases antibodies and natural killer cells, which are crucial when our body is fighting infections.
  4. Pain Reduction: Chronic pain sufferers have found relief using meditation. Another study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reports that mindfulness meditation reduce pain intensity, inflammation, and improves quality of life.
  5. Improves Digestion: Mindfulness can regulate digestive functions. The American Journal of Gastroenterology has published studies showing positive impacts of meditation on digestive health, especially for those with irritable bowel syndrome.

 

5 Ways Meditation Helps Us Find Our True Purpose

  1. Increases Self-Awareness: Meditation enhances self-awareness by helping us understand our thoughts, emotions, and motivations. Daily dates with our bodies and our breath foster a deep understanding of self and deepen our growth mindset.
  2. Improves Focus and Clarity: When in the habit of slowing down or brains and body, meditation sharpens focus and clarity. It does this by honing our attention to our inner voice, which will then identify to us our deepest dreams and desires.
  3. Enhances Intuition: Research in consciousness and cognition suggest meditation helps individuals make more purpose-driven decisions because they are tuned into what they really want.
  4. Greater Sense of Connection: Practicing mindfulness fosters a sense of connection to oneself and others.. Along with this connectivity comes compassion and forgiveness for human frailties. We develop an understanding of our worth without performing.
  5. Aligns Us with Our Values: Identifying and aligning our core values is another benefit of meditation. Hence, sitting in stillness daily brings an awareness to our bodies of what we truly feel and believe. This discernment makes it easier to identify what is most important to us.

 

5 Unexplained Positive Effects of Meditation

Despite the vast scientific research on meditation, some benefits remain mysterious and not fully explained by current science.

Despite the vast scientific research on meditation, some benefits remain mysterious and not fully explained by current science.

  1. Altered States of Consciousness: Many practitioners report experiencing altered states of consciousness, characterized by profound changes in perception and self-awareness. These experiences include feelings of unity, timelessness, and deep inner peace. Notwithstanding such states are well-documented, they are not fully understood by neuroscience.
  2. Rapid Cognitive Shifts: Meditation can lead to quick improvements in learning and sensitivity to positive feedback. Moreover, studies have found that brief mindfulness sessions enhance how individuals learn from positive surprises. Extraordinarily, the mechanisms behind these rapid cognitive adjustments are still being explored.
  3. Long-term Psychological Changes: While meditation’s psychological benefits, such as increased self-compassion and a sense of meaning, are well-documented, the long-term mechanisms in which meditation fosters deep psychological changes remain a topic of ongoing research.
  4. Spiritual Experiences: Meditation often leads to profound spiritual experiences, such as a sense of connection to a higher power or the universe. Indeed, these experiences are consistently reported across different cultures and practices, yet their underlying mechanisms are not fully understood by science.
  5. Epigenetic Changes: Emerging research suggests that meditation influences gene expression related to inflammation, stress response and aging. However, the extent and significance of these epigenetic changes are still being explored.

 

5 Steps to Get You Started 

The act of meditating typically involves 5-20 minutes daily of:

  1. Finding a Quiet Space: Sitting or lying down in a comfortable and quiet place. This can be anywhere – in your bed, a car, a closet, near a window, or any safe space.
  2. Focusing Attention: Concentrating on a specific object, breath, mantra, or visualization. Paying attention to the breath is the most easy first step for someone beginning their meditation journey. 
  3. Maintaining Posture: Keeping a straight but soft posture to facilitate breathing and concentration is important. Allowing the face, jaw, and shoulders to completely relax.
  4. Breathing Mindfully: Paying attention to the breath, observing each inhale and exhale.
  5. Observing Thoughts: Noticing thoughts and feelings without judgment, letting them pass without attachment.

Let the Magic Happen

In the book, The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer, states about meditation: “You can just sit in the seat of consciousness and let go. A thought or emotion emerges, you notice it, and it passes by because you allow it to. This technique of freeing yourself is done with the understanding that thoughts and emotions are just objects of consciousness.” Further, we learn from meditation:”There is nothing more important to true growth than realizing that you are not the voice of the mind – you are the one who hears it”.

Finally, an important takeaway concerning meditation is – there is no need to try and be “good at it”. Indeed part of the mystery of the positive effects of meditating is that the act of not being action or goal-oriented, as well as the act of gently brushing away thoughts, instead of welcoming them in, runs counter-intuitive to the demands of our everyday life. In summary, let the magic of sitting in stillness, obtaining mental clarity, emotional calmness, and a state of relaxation begin today.