العربيةMeditation is the habitual process of training your mind to focus, control and redirect your thoughts.
The popularity of meditation is increasing as more people discover its many health benefits.
You can use it to increase awareness of yourself and your surroundings. Many people think of it as a way to reduce stress and develop concentration.
People also use the practice to develop other beneficial habits and feelings, such as a positive mood and outlook, self-discipline, healthy sleep patterns and even increased pain tolerance.
Stress reduction is one of the most common reasons people try meditation.
Normally, mental and physical stress cause increased levels of the stress hormone cortisol. This produces many of the harmful effects of stress, such as the release of inflammatory chemicals called cytokines.
These effects can disrupt sleep, promote depression and anxiety, increase blood pressure, and contribute to fatigue and cloudy thinking.
Furthermore, research has shown that meditation may also improve symptoms of stress-related conditions, including irritable bowel syndrome, post-traumatic stress disorder, and fibromyalgia.
Manage anxiety
Meditation reduces stress levels, which translates to less anxiety.
A meta-analysis including nearly 1,300 adults found that meditation can decrease anxiety. Notably, this effect was strongest in those with the highest levels of anxiety.
Promotes emotional health & fights depression
Some forms of meditation lead to improved self-image and a more positive outlook on life.
For example, one review of treatments given to more than 3,500 adults found that mindfulness meditation improved symptoms of depression.
Lengthens attention span
Focused attention meditation is like weight lifting for your attention span. It helps increase the strength and endurance of your attention.
Reduces age-related memory loss
Improvements in attention and clarity of thinking may help keep your mind young.
Studies in people with age-related memory loss have shown it improves performance on neuropsychological tests.
Can generate kindness & gratitude
Some types of meditation may particularly increase positive feelings and actions toward yourself and others.
Through practice, people learn to extend this kindness and forgiveness externally, first to friends, then acquaintances, and ultimately enemies.
These benefits also appear to accumulate over time with the practice of loving-kindness meditation.
Addiction Management
The mental discipline you can develop through meditation may help you break dependencies by increasing your self-control and awareness of triggers for addictive behaviours (34Trusted Source).
Research has shown that meditation helps people learn to redirect their attention, manage their emotions and impulses, and increase their understanding of the causes behind their addictions. One study of 600 people receiving treatment for alcohol use disorder found that practising transcendental meditation was associated with lower levels of stress, psychological distress, alcohol cravings, and alcohol consumption after 3 months.
Meditation may also help you control food cravings. A review of 14 studies found mindfulness meditation helped participants reduce emotional and binge eating.
Improves sleep disorders
Nearly half of the population struggle with insomnia at some point.
One study compared mindfulness-based meditation programs and found that people who meditated stayed asleep longer and had improved insomnia severity, compared with those who had an unmedicated control condition.
Additionally, it can help relax your body, releasing tension and placing you in a peaceful state in which you’re more likely to fall asleep.
Helps control pain
Your perception of pain is connected to your state of mind, and it can be elevated in stressful conditions.
Some research suggests that incorporating meditation into your routine could be beneficial for controlling pain.
A large meta-analysis of studies enrolling nearly 3,500 participants concluded that meditation was associated with decreased pain.
Can decrease blood pressure
Meditation can also improve physical health by reducing strain on the heart.
Over time, high blood pressure makes the heart work harder to pump blood, which can lead to poor heart function.
A meta-analysis of 12 studies enrolling nearly 1000 participants found that meditation helped reduce blood pressure. This was more effective among older volunteers and those who had higher blood pressure before the study.
Accessible anywhere
People practice many different forms of meditation, most of which don’t require specialized equipment or space. You can practice with just a few minutes daily.
If you want to start meditating, try choosing a form of meditation based on what you want to get out of it.
There are several types of meditation:
- mindfulness meditation.
- spiritual meditation.
- focused meditation.
- movement meditation.
- mantra meditation.
- transcendental meditation.
- progressive relaxation.
- loving-kindness meditation.
If your regular work and home environments do not allow for consistent, quiet alone time, consider participating in a class. This can also improve your chances of success by providing a supportive community.
Rewire your mind and take control
- Meditation is something everyone can do to improve their mental and emotional health.
- You can do it anywhere, without special equipment or memberships.
- Alternatively, meditation courses and support groups are widely available.
- There’s a great variety of styles too, each with different strengths and benefits.
- Trying out a style of meditation suited to your goals is a great way to improve your quality of life, even if you only have a few minutes to do it each day.
Remember you can choose to be the ‘Victim or Creator of your Life’
