Hello everyone. I'm here today to talk a little bit about the practice of meditation and mindfulness. A practice widely followed by peoples of the eastern religions Buddhism and Hinduism.
Now I'm not here to prescribe a religious doctrine or ask anyone to join a temple. I'm simply here to shine some light on this rather obscure practice.
Most of you probably do, have done or know someone who has done yoga. Yoga, for those who don't know, is a set of exercises that strengthen the core, improve balance, relieve stress and improve flexibility. All very beneficial for the human body. But why has Yoga become so popular a practice?
Perhaps it has to do with its rather immediate and visible show of benefits. After a few sessions of yoga you can feel yourself becoming more flexible or balanced. With someone like meditation the benefits aren't so easily seen.
Perhaps it has to do with its rather immediate and visible show of benefits. After a few sessions of yoga you can feel yourself becoming more flexible or balanced. With someone like meditation the benefits aren't so easily seen.
Where yoga is a physical exercise and decompression, meditation is a mental exercise and decompression.
Taking 5, 10 or even 30 minutes out of a day to exercise is normal; some people would even say it is routine. But how often do we take time out to do nothing and just breathe?
Meditation was originally practiced for religious transcendence and deeper meaning of the universe. It has been practiced for thousands of years, originating in prehistoric India. From India it became a practice in most of Southeast Asia as Buddhism and Taoism spread in the east.
Now it has broken from its religious roots to become a mental health practice the world over and yet it hasn't seen the same popularity as yoga in the western world.
Meditation in its simplest form is a set of breathing exercises and mental practices to relieve stress and to the help the mind become unclouded. According to the Mayo Clinic it has far reaching benefits which include reduced stress levels, helping cope with depression and even help with sleep.
Students involved in a mindfulness program reported reduced stress, anxiety and depression after six months of the program.
Mindfulness/Meditation can change the shape of your brain and help with mental cognition.
According to a documentary done by NHK, 47% of our day is spent on mind wandering, where our thoughts are on the past and future instead of on the present. When this happens stressful events are multiplied by our own imagination and cause increased levels of stress. The stress hormone Cortisol is triplicated when under chronic stress. This causes brain cell death, memory loss, and emotional swings.
By doing meditation for 30 mins a day you can greatly reduce "mind wandering" and chronic stress induced Cortisol levels.
So let's break out the incense, sit criss-cross applesauce, and start chanting mantras!
Don't have incense? Don't think you can sit like that anymore? What's a mantra you ask?
Thankfully we don't need anything special to practice meditation. All it takes is a comfortable seat, about thirty minutes of time, and no distractions. This might sound impossible but how often are you sitting down watching TV, or spending an hour on your phone playing Candy Crush? If you translate that time into meditation you will soon feel the benefits.
"How will sitting here doing nothing help me?"
That's the thing you aren't doing "nothing". In meditation you concentrate on your breathing, let go of intrusive thoughts and just let your mind slow down from running 80 miles a minute.
So, take a seat in comfortable chair or even lie down. close your eyes, put on some soothing music, and just breathe. Or better yet there are guided meditations online for free. Many of which walk you through breathing exercises and visualizations.
It's rather simple once you take the time to try it out but just like everything else it requires discipline. Adding it to your routine, just like working out, will help you stay on a schedule.
So the next time you feel overwhelmed and stressed out by work or life, take a second to chill out and breathe. Once you make a habit of it, it will become easier and easier to unwind.
As always.
Keep reading. Keep learning.
Students involved in a mindfulness program reported reduced stress, anxiety and depression after six months of the program.
Mindfulness/Meditation can change the shape of your brain and help with mental cognition.
According to a documentary done by NHK, 47% of our day is spent on mind wandering, where our thoughts are on the past and future instead of on the present. When this happens stressful events are multiplied by our own imagination and cause increased levels of stress. The stress hormone Cortisol is triplicated when under chronic stress. This causes brain cell death, memory loss, and emotional swings.
By doing meditation for 30 mins a day you can greatly reduce "mind wandering" and chronic stress induced Cortisol levels.
So let's break out the incense, sit criss-cross applesauce, and start chanting mantras!
Don't have incense? Don't think you can sit like that anymore? What's a mantra you ask?
Thankfully we don't need anything special to practice meditation. All it takes is a comfortable seat, about thirty minutes of time, and no distractions. This might sound impossible but how often are you sitting down watching TV, or spending an hour on your phone playing Candy Crush? If you translate that time into meditation you will soon feel the benefits.
"How will sitting here doing nothing help me?"
That's the thing you aren't doing "nothing". In meditation you concentrate on your breathing, let go of intrusive thoughts and just let your mind slow down from running 80 miles a minute.
So, take a seat in comfortable chair or even lie down. close your eyes, put on some soothing music, and just breathe. Or better yet there are guided meditations online for free. Many of which walk you through breathing exercises and visualizations.
It's rather simple once you take the time to try it out but just like everything else it requires discipline. Adding it to your routine, just like working out, will help you stay on a schedule.
So the next time you feel overwhelmed and stressed out by work or life, take a second to chill out and breathe. Once you make a habit of it, it will become easier and easier to unwind.
As always.
Keep reading. Keep learning.
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