Meditation has become increasingly popular in recent years. And with the numerous benefits it offers to improve your mental and physical health, there really is no wonder why!
Many people think of meditation as a way to reduce stress. But it does in fact have many other health benefits such as helping improve focus and concentration and connecting better with your body.
Some people may also use the practice to develop other beneficial habits and feelings. Such as positive mood and outlook, self-discipline, healthy sleep patterns, and even increased pain tolerance. Find out more below.
What is Meditation & How Often Should I Meditate?
What exactly meditation is can ultimately change from person to person depending on how they feel it helps them. Contemplation, reflection, taking charge of your mind, focus, relaxation, deep continued thought and transforming the mind are all used to describe meditation.
By engaging with a particular meditation practice, you learn the patterns and habits of your mind, and it offers a means to cultivate new, more positive ways of being. With regular work and patience, these focused states of mind can deepen into peaceful and energised states of mind.
In terms of how often you should meditate, it is completely up to you. Some people benefit from a short session each morning and night, some just once a day or even once a week. Daily meditation can help you perform better that at what you choose to take part in that day.
What Are the Benefits of Meditating Regularly?
It Reduces Stress & Anxiety
All of us face some sort of stress or anxiety a day whether this is at work, at home or your personal life.
Solid research backs up the common knowledge that mindfulness techniques and focusing on your breathing can reduce anxiety and stress. Meditation can reduce stress levels, which translates to less anxiety.
Increases Self-Awareness
Some forms of meditation may help you develop a stronger understanding of yourself and help you grow into your best self.
It makes you aware of what things you are doing right and things that need to be changed or improved to ensure you are getting the best out of everything. The idea is that as you gain more awareness of your thought habits, you can steer them more towards constructive patterns.
Improves Memory
Meditation can increase blood flow in the brain and improve memory. As we age, our mental capacity peaks and then begins to deteriorate.
Using your mind to reach high levels of concentration and focus is central to meditation. When you do this, you are strengthening and exercising your mind, to keep it in incredible shape. Meditation works our mental muscles, prolonging the life of our brain, and keeping us from suffering memory loss.
Improves Concentration & Focus
Meditation is a helpful tool for people trying to improve their focus and concentration. It can help you zero in on your goals and make you more productive.
Research states that 47% of the time the mind is usually lost in thought. Meditation helps to move the mind away from these thoughts and when done the correct way can change parts of the brain related to other things. Once your mind is relaxed, you are able to focus, concentrate and increase your attention span.
Helps You Relax & Focus On the Present
You can use a focused meditation at any time of the day to help clear your mind.
Clearing your mind of all thoughts then helps you to relax and focus your attention on the present. This doesn’t mean you should stop thinking, it just means that you should be aware of your wandering thoughts and redirect them back on to the single focal point.
Lowers Resting Heart Rate
Practising mindfulness or meditation for 10 minutes a day can improve your resting heart rate.
Meditation does more than relaxing the mind, it has a positive physiological impact on our bodies. Meditations which focus more on steady, controlled breathing are especially useful for bringing a slower, more consistent heart rate which can provide a lot of important health benefits.
Lowers Blood Pressure
Individuals who meditate regularly can see their blood pressure decrease over time. This can reduce the strain on the heart and arteries.
Over time, high blood pressure makes the heart work harder to pump blood, which can lead to poor heart function. Keeping your blood pressure at bay reduces the risk of any complications with your heart.
Improves Sleep Quality
Almost half of the population will struggle with some sort of sleep disorder at a point in their lives.
Meditation may help by relaxing your body, reducing your stress, releasing your tension and placing you in a peaceful state in which you are more likely to fall asleep. Falling asleep relaxed usually means you are in for a good night's sleep – who actually wants to go to sleep stressed, tossing and turning all night? Not me!
Promotes a Healthy Lifestyle
Some forms of meditation can lead to improved self-image and a more positive outlook on life. It increases your positive energy and effectively makes you make better choices.
Reducing blood pressure, anxiety and depression help you to handle pain and illness better and as an individual, you can expect to become calmer and more centred, which will help you process decisions that lead to a healthy, long and fulfilled life.
