Since time immemorial, meditation has been used to attain enlightenment. Wise ones have touted it as a means to get rid of misery. Experiences and modern research show that meditation is helpful for life goals as regular and diverse as overcoming a traumatic heartbreak to increasing daily productivity. Modern-day meditators call it the food for the soul and suggest that the practice can unlock doors to a better life. Read the benefits of meditation in detail below
Benefits of meditation:
Here physical and emotional benefits of meditation that will inspire you
- Helps in managing mental health
- Helps Overcome anxiety and depression
- Provides more energy & efficiency
- Improves focus, attention, and memory
- Helps in Healing and managing pain
- Benefits your overall health
- Improves relationships
- Teaches you to let go and be firm
- Reduces ageing
Helps in managing mental health
Research has shown the benefits of meditation towards mental health. It helps relieve stress, reduce anxiety, increase kindness, improve self-awareness and self-esteem.
“Just like dental hygiene, mental hygiene needs to be taught from a very young age. Children are taught how to brush their teeth, similarly, parents will have to teach them how not to get tense and if they are tense how to get rid of it. Tools and techniques must be taught to them, to uplift their spirit. I feel that this is something that the world all over, people need it.”
- Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Helps Overcome anxiety and depression
Meditation has been shown to be as effective in relieving symptoms of anxiety and depression as antidepressants. It increases the prana level (life force) in the body. According to Ayurveda, as prana level increases, anxiety decreases automatically.
The Art of Living’s Sahaj Samadhi Dhyan, a meditation technique has been shown to alleviate symptoms of late-life depression.
Learn to let go and be firm
A life situation affects us deeply when we are not able to let go. The emotional baggage of an unfavorable situation and person torments us. Sometimes, to such a great extent that our ability to live happily crumbles. Meditating regularly helps us to let go and also helps us stay firm and passionate about what we are doing.
Meditation provides more energy & more efficiency
Meditation clears one’s mind and increases one’s energy levels. Meditation can stimulate the vagus nerve, which promotes positive emotions and relaxation. A recent study shows that meditation reduces exhaustion among entrepreneurs as it reduces workplace stressors, bringing you calmer and energy. Efficiency naturally increases as you feel more energized and have more clarity of mind.
Improves focus, attention, and memory
Meditation improves concentration and helps one to be in the present moment. If you observe, the mind vacillates between the past and the future. We are either angry about the past or anxious about the future. Meditation helps bring the mind to the present. As that happens, focus and attention span improves. Meditation also improves gray matter in the brain, which improves memory.
Helps in Healing and managing pain
Studies show that meditation helps manage chronic pain effectively. Regular meditators with chronic pain are able to live with a pain that is manageable. Experiences also show that meditation can help heal from chronic conditions.
Meditation Benefits your health
With meditation, the physiology undergoes a change, and every cell in the body is filled with more prana (energy). This results in joy, peace, enthusiasm as the level of prana in the body increases.
- On a physical level, meditation:
- Lowers high blood pressure
- Lowers the levels of blood lactate, reducing anxiety attacks
- Decreases any tension-related pain, such as tension headaches, ulcers, insomnia, muscle, and joint problems
- Increases serotonin production that improves mood and behavior
- Improves the immune system
- Improves sleep
Improves relationships
As you meditate and your awareness improves, you are less likely to blame others and indulge in negative emotions like anger. Your hold onto events reduces, and you become the person who lets go of that small squabble easily. Now, who does not like that person? You also feel more love in your relationships as techniques like Sudarshan Kriya also help release more oxytocin, the hormone that promotes feelings of love and social bonding.
Reduces ageing
Studies show that meditation keeps you young and improves longevity. One of the main reasons for this is its diminishing effects on stress, a factor that has a negative impact on the body.
Benefits of Meditation: Infographics
Video: Benefits of Meditation by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Learn meditation. Enroll in an online Sahaj Samadhi meditation program today
FAQs on how to meditate easily
If you never meditate, you will not experience any positive impact of the practice.
Meditation has a positive effect on the brain structure, cognitive function, mental health, immunity and physical health of a practitioner.
When you meditate everyday, you will experience better concentration, energy levels and reduced stress.
Yes, meditation can uncover traumatic memories only to release them from your consciousness. If you have gone through somethign traumatic and wish to meditate, it is recommended to meditate under the supervision of a professional trainer.
You will notice that you overcome stress and anger sooner. You don't take days to let go of negative feelings and emotions.
The signs of deep meditation are deep relaxation and then from there feeling the energy, and then the vibrations becoming light.
A UCLA study showed that only 8 weeks of meditation increase the region in the brain associated with positive emotions. 2 weeks of Sudarshan Kriya practice have shown reduction in the stress hormone, cortisol.
For beginner meditators, it is recommended to meditate for 15- 20 minutes.
