Self Improvement Ideas: The Search For Inner Peace
It's simple. It's free. And it can make a world of difference in your life. Meditation is something that many people are surprised to hear about, but those who practice it sometimes talk about "finding peace." We're not talking about the peace of crisp white linens and down pillows, though they may be involved (partially thanks to said meditation).
Meditation is an exercise in quieting your mind, letting go of your worries, and finding inner peace as you focus on a single thought or feeling. Many people believe that they could never meditate, because they don't have the time to sit still and think about nothing. And maybe you don't, but what if we told you that you're doing it already? When was the last time that you went for a walk (or even a stroll down your hallway), or listened to your favorite music and just felt your body relax? You were meditating then – and even though meditation is the dedicated practice of doing those things (and much more), those moments are still great opportunities for finding peace.
Why Meditation is Beneficial
Meditation has been shown to reduce stress and improve mood.
1. Meditation reduces stress and anxiety.
Meditation calms the nervous system, reducing the effects of stress on the body. Meditating regularly can help you to have a more positive outlook on life, feel less anxious and unhappy, and also reduce your level of stress and ability to handle adversity. Keeping your mind focused on a single thought or feeling can help you to keep a positive attitude in difficult situations – even when life gets hard you can still find happiness.
2. Meditation helps reduce anger and hatred.
Meditation has been shown to reduce anger and hatred by helping people focus on a single thought or feeling. This can help you be less reactive, more patient, and more positive overall. This can also help you realize that many of the "bad" things that happen in life are out of our control, so instead of blaming yourself or others for what might go wrong, you can learn to keep a positive outlook. Meditating regularly helps people develop the art of mindfulness – being aware of your body and surroundings at all times – which is never a bad thing!
3. Meditation calms the mind-body connection.
One of the most important aspects of meditation is learning to keep your mind and body connected at all times. The mind-body connection (or "mind-brain" connection), which is proven by medical research on the benefits of meditation, helps you to be calmer and more focused as well. When your thoughts become too complex, too intense, or too chaotic, it can cause you to have difficulty doing something simple like balancing a checkbook or looking down at your feet while walking. By learning to connect with yourself through meditation – focusing on a single thought or feeling – you can learn how to calm your mind in life's most complicated situations.
4. Meditation can improve cognitive functions.
Meditation is also shown to increase your cognitive functions, which can help you pay attention easily, focus on the task at hand, and think more clearly. This can make it easier for you to deal with stressful situations, learn new information quickly, and also be more creative.
5. Meditation may help prevent Alzheimer's disease and other dementias – The amygdala (which is the part of the brain that mediates fear memory) also deals with memory consolidation (encoding memories into long term storage) as well as emotional regulation (control of aggression and anger). Both of these are very important in preventing Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. Excellent article here: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140318080028.htm
How to Meditate – The Basics of Beginning
What is meditation? Well, the very basics of it are simple enough: meditation is the intentional and directed practice of clearing your mind, focusing on a single thought or feeling and becoming more relaxed, calm and relaxed (especially when difficult tasks arise). For example: Your mind needs to be quieted so that you can focus and think deeply about your life (your past, present), what holds you back from reaching your goals, or how you feel about different situations. You can use this time to "think big" in order to find solutions for your problems. This is just one of the basic types of meditation. There are many other things that you can focus on in meditation, and whatever you choose to concentrate on is fine. Some people like to meditate with candles, or with incense – during this time they might focus on the flickering flame of a candle, or the fragrance from the incense. Others prefer to simply sit quietly in a room and focus on their breathing – going slow and steady while taking long, deep breaths in and out. There are variations based on your tastes. What's important is not what you're doing while meditating (it can be anything), but simply that you are finding peace in whatever way helps you most.
Verdict – Meditation is benefical. While we don't recommend doing it every day, or even every other day, it can be a great way to relax and find inner peace when life gets busy. It's also important to note that meditation isn't just a relaxing activity; meditation is an exercise in practicing any other skills that you have learned throughout your life. (For example, if you are paying attention while driving you are training your mind to focus while doing complex tasks.) This can help your brain stay active, sharp and responsive to everything that comes your way so that stressful situations aren't such a struggle for you. Learning how to meditate can make all the difference!
References: National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health. WebMD. The Benefits of Meditation: How Meditation Helps You Reduce Stress and Find Inner Peace | The Art of Manliness. Psychology Today – Benefits Of Mindfulness Meditation (And How To Get Started).
Is meditation a religion? While meditation has been used for centuries by religious people as a way to connect with God and the universe, it is not considered a religion itself; it is simply one way to focus one's thoughts on a single activity or thought so that your mind doesn't get distracted with too many other things (such as everything going on in your life each day).
Conclusion
The basics of meditation are simple enough: sitting down and focusing on a single thought or feeling while clearing your mind and staying calm. This can be done with any object or situation that helps you relax, but the goal is to clear your mind of all other thoughts. It can also be helpful to use breathing techniques (slow breathing in, slow breathing out) to help calm your mind.