Q: “Hey Sonia, should I start meditation?”
A: “Absolutely! You just need to find the kind that works for you”.
As a yoga and meditation teacher, I hear this question all the time. And I always share my view on it: in my eyes, meditation is the simplest thing in the world. It’s not necessarily about concentrating on specific things; it’s actually about de-concentration, about letting go. It’s not about focusing one’s thoughts on one thing, but instead on becoming thoughtless. Meditation is the ultimate relaxation, because you give your body and mind a serious break.
Meditation can practiced sitting, walking, sleeping (yes, the Dalai Lama says “sleep is the best meditation”) or even practicing yoga or other kinds of movement. There are different approaches regarding specific techniques: some focus on the breath, on a specific part of your body or a specific sense; others encourage the mind to act as an observer. To kick-start your meditation practice, read my post “Meditation 101”.
“Why should you consider meditating?”
It turns out that this technique for resting the mind pursues to attain a state of consciousness that is totally different from the normal waking state. It is the means for fathoming all the levels of ourselves and finally experiencing the center of consciousness within. Meditation is not a part of any religion; it is a science, which means that the process of meditation follows a particular order, has definite principles, and produces results that can be verified.
Benefits of Meditation
Calming the body and mind, the physiology undergoes a change and every cell in the body is filled with more energy.
On a physical level, you might experience that meditation:
- Helps lower high blood pressure
- Helps lower levels of blood lactate, reducing anxiety attacks
- Helps decrease any tension-related pain, such as, tension headaches, ulcers, insomnia, muscle and joint problems
- Helps increase serotonin production that improves mood and behavior This results in joy, peace and enthusiasm
- Helps boost the immune system
- Helps increase energy levels
On a mental level, meditation brings the brainwave pattern into an alpha state that promotes healing. With regular practice of meditation:
- Anxiety decreases
- Focus becomes sharper
- Relaxation is promoted
- Creativity increases
- Happiness increases
- Intuition develops
- Clarity and peace of mind grow
- Emotional stability improves
- Problems become smaller
- Tension, anger and frustration are reduced
Last but not least, meditation enhances your spiritual approach to life, promoting:
- Recognizing yourself as an inseparable part of the whole cosmos
- Discovering more about yourself and loving yourself
- Sense of harmony with others and the planet as a whole
Practice, practice, practice
Now that you’re familiar with the benefits of meditation, please bear in mind that, in order to experience the benefits of meditation, regular practice is necessary. It takes only a few minutes every day (read my post “Meditation 101” to get started). Once integrated into the daily routine, meditation becomes the best part of your day!
Meditation is like a seed. When you cultivate a seed with love, the more it blossoms. At first you may see progress in terms of physical relaxation and emotional calmness. Later you may notice other, more subtle changes. Some of the most important benefits of meditation make themselves known gradually over time and are not dramatic or easily observed. Persist in your practice and you will find that meditation is a means of freeing yourself from everyday worries, or at least lowers their intensity significantly. Then you are free to experience the joy of being fully present, here and now.
I invite you to dive deep into yourself and enrich your life…with a few minutes of meditation every day.
Yours in stillness,
Sonia Ribas @soniaribascoach
