By Denise Everheart
How do you decipher all the information about meditation effects? Read, laugh, and decide for yourself.
Have you heard?!? Meditation is taking over the planet!?! And you wouldn’t believe all the side effects everyone is talking about! Pull up a chair, pour yourself a cup of tea, and let’s chat about meditation effects-- the good, the bad, and the…..wait, are there bad side effects from meditation?! I’m here to spill the tea so you can decide for yourself if there are any bad side effects, or if it’s all good! Here’s a cheeky look at meditation effects.
Please be advised: Meditation can cause contentment without reason
It might sound very Pollyanna, excessively cheerful and optimistic to say that one can be content without reason. But have you seen a group of meditators before?! They simply cannot stop smiling!
In fact, research has shown that it is possible for meditators to experience enhanced optimism, increased joy, and even improved self-esteem! Studies have found even life satisfaction increases with a meditation practice. How is this possible? It might have something to do with feeling less stressed!
Warning: Meditation may make you live longer
Have you noticed how some meditators don’t even look their age! Who do they think they are, walking around looking all glowy!?! Scandalous!
Research shows that meditators experience healthier blood pressure and improved heart health. Many meditators also experience improved immunity. It definitely looks like meditation may cause you to live a longer and healthier life. Are you willing to risk that?
Meditation Contraindications:
Misery loves company and dislikes meditation. If you want to be miserable don’t even consider meditation. Because if you do, you might just find yourself walking around smiling for no reason! Can you imagine?
Chaos cannot stand to be in the presence of peace and calm, so forget about chaos and meditation being friends! Not gonna happen!
If you enjoy walking through the clouds in your mind, you will definitely have to give up your unhealthy relationship with brain fog.
Meditation is not suitable:
If you want to feel depressed
If you love anxiety
If you want disturbance in the mind
If you want to stay stagnant in your life
If you are a fan of chronic pain
Symptoms (a.k.a. benefits) caused by meditation:
More happiness
Mental focus
Increased energy
More resilience
Better sleep
Improved relationships
Better decision making
More enthusiasm
All joking aside
As a life-long meditator, I have only witnessed positive results from regular meditation. In fact, I practice two kinds of meditation every single day. A mantra-based technique, Sahaj Samadhi Meditation™, and breath-based meditation, SKY Breath Meditation. Altogether it takes me 30 to 40 minutes each morning to do SKY and Sahaj together. I rarely miss a day of meditation. I find it is time well spent and yields more energy and efficiency, mental clarity, and yes- feeling contented for no reason whatsoever! And if things are not going right during the day, I can move through my day without stress owning me.
I have also witnessed a family member who was depressed and suicidal before learning SKY Breath Meditation. After just a few weeks of practice, all their suicidal thoughts were gone! And I cannot tell you how many others have taken the SKY course with me and have all experienced every positive effect mentioned here today.
The potential of a negative side to meditation effects rests on following instructions correctly. Unpleasant experiences can happen when practices are done incorrectly, without the guidance of a trained instructor, or longer than prescribed. Meditation is similar to medication in the sense that if not taken properly, as instructed, there could be some negative effects.
It is also worth saying that just 20 to 45 minutes of meditation as a daily practice is good enough. If you meditate too long you might feel spaced out. Longer meditations should be done only under the supervision of trained meditation instructors, like in a retreat setting.
Read The Importance of Using Meditation for Mental Health in Our New Normal to hear what co-founder of the International Association for Human Values, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar says about breathing and meditation for mental health.
What types of meditation give the best meditation effects?
If you have a lot of questions about meditation’s effect and its benefits you are probably wondering what types of meditation give the best results. Here is a brief breakdown of the top three meditation types:
1. Guided meditation. Novice meditators tend to gravitate towards guided meditations as a first step into the world of meditation. Stress reduction comes naturally with this guided practice. If you’re new to meditation you can check out The Top 22 Online Guided Meditations for Stress, Anger, Sleep, and More. If you are looking for a meditation practice with more juice check out options one and two.
2. Mantra meditation. Mantras are charged vibrations used to reduce and clear repetitive patterns of the mind. It is best to receive the right mantra for you by a trained instructor rather than use something someone posted online. This type of meditation is easy to practice, perfect for beginners and those already experienced in meditation.
Benefits of mantra-based meditation include an increase in self-awareness, mental clarity, creativity, improved physical health, improved relationships, and increased energy. The benefits build over time giving you a strong foundation for your life. Two of the most popular mantra-based meditation techniques are Sahaj Samadhi Meditation™ and Transcendental Meditation.
Sahaj Samadhi means “effortless meditation”. It does not require controlling the mind like concentration meditations, nor does it require vigilant observation of thoughts and emotions like mindfulness meditation. Thus, it is easier and quicker to learn than mindfulness or concentration, requiring mental effort and taking a longer time to master.
Having started with Transcendental Meditation as a teenager and later as an adult learning Sahaj Samadhi Meditation™, I can say that although similar in that they both use mantras as vehicles for meditation, there is an added aspect to Sahaj that has enriched my meditation experience beyond my imagination. Sahaj is the way to go if you want your daily meditation to take you to new depths!
3. Breath meditation. This is different from breathing exercises that are preparatory for your meditation session. Breathing exercises or pranayamas are great but can’t take you as deeply as SKY Breath Meditation does.
Why so much emphasis on how deep a meditation technique is? For one thing, it is what we all crave, isn’t it? And we want it now, not after years of meditating! With any meditation practice, there will be days when we are less deep and days when we feel very deep. Sometimes it’s like we are doing a little light housekeeping and when we are experiencing deeper meditations it is like we are deep cleaning our minds.
With the deep cleaning that happens with SKY, practitioners experience more positive meditation effects faster. In fact, a recent study at Yale University compared the effectiveness of SKY Breath Meditation with a mindfulness-based practice and found SKY to provide far greater results.
To learn more about SKY and your brain activity including improving memory, growing brain cells, and increasing new neurons read How Meditation Changes Your Brain.
Why SKY Breath Meditation?
Just between you and me, SKY Breath Meditation is the ultimate self-care for physical and mental health! If you need stress reduction, SKY can lower stress hormones by as much as 78%. Have blood pressure issues? SKY helps to normalize blood pressure. Suffering from chronic pain? SKY helps with that too. Does depression have a grip on your life? SKY will give you some much-needed relief. Plagued by one negative emotion after another? SKY deep cleans your mind so negative emotions don’t have a chance to take root. Does anxiety have you on your last nerve? SKY helps with that too!
That being said, it is recommended that if you have any serious medical conditions (ie seizure disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia) take advice from your healthcare provider before you start. You can also talk to a SKY instructor ahead of learning to see if there are any modifications you can do for your condition.
The only thing left to say is meditation, especially SKY Breath Meditation, is ALL GOOD! No bad effects whatsoever as long as your overall health is good and you follow your instructor’s guidance.
Want to learn more about SKY? You are cordially invited to a free breath and meditation session, online with a certified SKY instructor. Just click the image below to pick a day and time that works best for you!
Disclaimer: Meditation should be used at your own risk of becoming healthier, happier, and the best you!
Denise Everheart is a freelance writer, life-long meditator, SKY Breath Meditation instructor, party planner, veg chef, and recipe designer. Follow her @everheartstudio4meditation and @celeplateyourlife on Instagram.
