Before you ask, what is meditation? But first you might want to know, what meditation isn’t? It isn’t about having earth-shattering experiences or controlling the mind. Meditation is a practice and is more about working with the mind and training in awareness. Just by working with the mind leads to an improved sense of presence, calm, attentiveness, and an increase in your valued qualities such as empathy and patience.
There are many things in life that are beyond your control, isn’t it. But it’s quite possible to a have greater control over your actions and how you respond to the situations that you find yourselves in. To do this you need to cultivate awareness of how the mind works and the ability to maintain focus. And nothing cultivates awareness better than meditation does.
Research has shown that meditation can have both physiological and psychological effects. Positive physiological effects include – lowered state of physical arousal, reduced respiration rate, decreased heart rate, changes in brain wave patterns, and lowered stress. Positive psychological effects include – increased self-awareness, improved emotional well-being, better management of conditions including – anxiety disorders, depression, sleep disorders, pain issues, and high blood pressure.