Meditation Techniques

Meditation is a well-known technique for reducing stress and anxiety. It has also been proven to enhance mood, promote healthy sleep patterns, and boost cognitive skills.

People also use the daily practice of meditation to develop other beneficial feelings and habits, such as a positive mood and outlook, self-discipline, healthy sleep patterns, and increased pain tolerance.

The popularity of meditation is increasing as more people discover its many health benefits. Meditation is the habitual process of training your mind to focus and redirect your thoughts. Daily meditation rituals have increased awareness of yourself and your surroundings.

Benefits of Meditation

1. Reduces Stress

Stress reduction is one of the most common reasons people meditate.

It has been shown that over time, physiological markers of stress, like increased cortisol levels and heart rate, can have wide-ranging health impacts on everything from mood, sleep, blood pressure, and overall health.

Researchers suggest that meditation may help improve symptoms of certain conditions that are impacted by stress, including:

· irritable bowel syndrome

· post-traumatic stress disorder

· fibromyalgia

2. Helps Anxiety

Meditation can reduce stress levels, which translates to less anxiety.

Several researchers have found that mindfulness meditation helped reduce anxiety symptoms in people with generalized anxiety disorder as well as depression, along with increasing positive self-statements and improving stress reactivity and coping mechanisms. Thus creating a more positive self-image and outlook on life and their surroundings.

Studies have shown that employees who use meditation routinely experience improved feelings of well-being, decreased negativity, less job strain, and overall happiness in their work environment.

3. Supports Emotional Health

Researchers have found people who meditate are more positive in life and are happier and less stressed.

4. Enhances Self-Awareness

Some forms of meditation may help you develop a stronger understanding of yourself, helping you grow into your best self and being able to relate to those around you. As you gain better self awareness your thoughts and habits change.

Researchers found that people who use mindfulness meditation experience reduced feelings of loneliness, increased social contact, and greater joy in life overall.

5. Increased Attention Span

Focused attention meditation is like weightlifting for your attention span. It helps increase your attention span’s strength and endurance.

Those who listen to a meditation tape experience improved attention and accuracy while completing a task. In addition, people who regularly practiced meditation performed better on visual tasks and had a greater attention span than those without any meditation experience.

Studies have shown meditating for just 13 minutes daily can significantly enhance your attention span and memory after 8 weeks.

6. May Reduce Age-Related Memory Loss

Improvements in attention and clarity of thinking may help keep your mind young.

Daily meditation has shown that people with age-related memory loss have improved performance on neuropsychological tests as well as increased attention, memory, and mental quickness in the older population.

7. Can Generate Kindness

Meditation has increased positive feelings and actions toward yourself and others. Several studies have shown that those who meditate are able to show more compassion toward themselves and others.

8. May Help With Addictions

The mental discipline you can develop through meditation helps to break dependencies by increasing self-control and awareness of triggers for addictive behaviors such as alcohol dependency or drug dependency.

Meditation has been shown to also help with emotional stress eating and binge eating.

9. Improves Sleep

Routine meditation has been shown for those individuals are able to redirect their thoughts ease into a peaceful state while falling asleep and stay asleep longer and have improved overall sleep.

10. Helps Control Pain

Some research suggests that incorporating meditation into your routine could be beneficial for controlling pain. Mindfulness meditation could help reduce pain, improve quality of life, and decrease symptoms of depression in people with chronic pain.

11. Can Help Decrease Blood Pressure

Meditation can also improve overall physical health by reducing strain on the heart. In part, meditation helps to control blood pressure by relaxing the nerve signals that coordinate heart function, blood vessel tension, and the “fight-or-flight” response that increases alertness in stressful situations.

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.

There are two major styles of meditation:

· Focused attention meditation. This style concentrates on objects, thoughts, sounds, or visualization. It emphasizes ridding your mind of distractions. Meditation may focus on breathing, a mantra, or a calming sound.

· Open-monitoring meditation. This style encourages broadened awareness of all aspects of your environment, train of thought, and sense of self. It may include becoming aware of suppressed thoughts, feelings, or impulses.

Consider participating in a class if your work and home environments do not allow consistent, quiet alone time. This can also improve your chances of success by providing a supportive community.

Alternatively, consider setting your alarm a few minutes early to take advantage of quiet time in the morning. This may help you develop a consistent habit and start the day positively.

The Bottom Line

Meditation is something everyone can do to improve their mental and emotional health without special equipment or costly memberships. 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 daily.

Radiant Integrative Health is committed to helping you maintain a healthy lifestyle. If you have questions or are looking for guidance on any aspect of your health. Contact us at 702-333-8458. The providers at Radiant Integrative Health are here to support you in all aspects of your health and wellness.

Let us help you take the first step towards a happier, healthier you. Our providers are dedicated to helping you feel your best and live your best life!