What is Meditation?
We must experience the truth in a direct practical and real way. This is only possible in the stillness and silence of the mind; and this is achieved by means of meditation.
Meditation is like giving a hug to ourselves, getting in touch with that awesome reality in us. While meditating we feel a deep sense of intimacy with God, a love that is inexplicable.
Meditation is a simple practice available to all, which can reduce stress, increase calmness and clarity and promote happiness. Learning how to meditate is straightforward, and the benefits can come quickly. Here, we offer basic tips to get you started on a path toward greater equanimity, acceptance and joy. Take a deep breath, and get ready to relax.
MEDITATION BENEFITS
Physical Benefits
Even though Meditation is recognized as a spiritual practice, it has tremendous health benefits.
Meditation creates deep levels of physical relaxation, reducing any pain caused due to muscular tension. Physical stress is also reduced and we feel more energetic.
Some of the documented health benefits are
1. Improvement in general health
2. Reduced need for medical intervention
3. Better sleep
4. Strong immune system
5. Increased levels of energy
6. Faster healings
7. Higher resistance to diseases
8. Slowing down and reversing of the aging process longevity
9. Diminished probability of heart disease
10. Improved digestion
11. Faster recovery from physical and mental stress
12. Regulates blood pressure
Psychological Benefits
Mediation improves our life by providing both psychological and emotional benefits that change life in a positive manner. This happens because of increased production of hormones such as serotonin, which enhance mood and lift depression.
In Meditation, the brain waves slow down, the body relaxes, the mind becomes calm and the stress of daily life gets reduced. We begin to understand that stress is not caused by outer events; it is caused by our reaction to them.
Meditation ensures great psychological benefits. Some of which are enumerated here:
Relief from stress and stress related disorders.
Reduction of emotional distress
Decrease in potential mental illness
Reduced need for dependencies such as drugs, nicotine and alcohol.
Decreased tendency to worry
A stable and balanced personality
Peace of mind
Reduced fears, phobias, and neuroses.
Feeling of self –empowerment
Lifting of depression
Decreased anxiety.
Becoming fearless.
Mental Benefits
Mediation helps coordinate the functioning of both brain hemispheres, making the whole brain function in tandem. It also activates new neural pathways, improving communication between different areas of the brain. This enhances the mental power tremendously and creates followings benefits.
Cultivating a clear, calm status mind.
Increased focus on job.
Decrease in restless thoughts
Improved mental strength.
Improved brain function.
Enhanced decision making capability.
Voluntary control of mental process.
Ever joyful state of mind.
Relationship Benefits
Mediation creates changes not only in the physical body but other subtle bodies as well. These changes occur because of the increased flow of energy through physical and subtle channels, making us aware and mindful of every thought, emotion, and action.
Meditation makes us conscious of our thought patterns, emotional patterns, and reaction patterns. This awareness creates understating of the self. And when we understand the self, we start understanding others. This understanding helps solve many of our life problems, especially the one concerning our relationships.
Long time meditators develop an inner poise, and a truthful, open, compassionate and unselfish nature, which is free from pretension, snobbery, prejudice and dogmatism. Such qualities endear us to one and all, and improve all our inter-personal relationships.
Meditation brings up positive emotions, which are then expressed through actions. It works as a great cleaner for our emotional body.
Through mediation, we start observing our self-more intently. We become more aware of the way walk, eat, gossip, love, hate etc. Gradually, we start accepting all parts of our self with equanimity.
Some of the inter-personal benefits of meditation are.
Improved confidence
Improved social behavior
Decreased aggressiveness.
Greater tolerance
Increased acceptance of self and others
Ease of forgiveness.
Reduced need to criticize others
Transformative deep understanding of life.
Heightened sensitivity.
An Improved capacity to deal with life’s ups and downs
Reduced restlessness.
Death of wasteful habits
Spiritual Benefits
People begin their Meditation practice for a variety of reasons, which are usually related with their immediate life concerns; such as learning to cope up with stress and pain, becoming a better person, achieving inner tranquility, spiritual quest etc. But as they progress on the path, the realizations of infinite self-become a priority. As the practice deepens the desire for liberation grows stronger, as this is the ultimate fruit of meditation.
1. Experience of inner knowingness
2. Being in tune with our real selves
3. Discovering purpose of life
4. Removal of karmic blocks
5. Developing purity of heart
6. Activation of Kundalini energy and opening of Third eye
7. Peeling layers of ignorance
8. Experience of Oneness
SUMMARY OF MEDITATION
Until we start meditating we do not know anything about ‘going within’
Once we start meditating we come to know that the real world is inside us, and outer world is just its reflection.
Many meditators begin well but they are in a great hurry to reach somewhere.
We must remember that we can’t ‘know’ ourselves in hurry.
When you begin to move inwards we feel as though we are entering chaos, and then the realization dawns that this chaos has been created by us.
While we ‘have’ a body, our body is not the essence of who we are.
Our emotions and desires are not the essence of who we are.
Since we can ‘change our mind and ‘create’ new ideas, it cannot be the within essence of who we are.
We are neither the body, nor the mind, nor the emotions, and nor the desires; we are much more than that.
As we keep discounting our various identities layer by layer, we move inwards to an empty space.
In the silent world, we become detached from all sensations of the body, emotions, desires, thoughts and opinions of the mind
As soon as we realize attachment to our body, mind, emotions and desires, we become aware of a calm center that lies within us.
From this calm center within, we get in touch with our intuition.
As we remain focused in the center of our being , we see the ‘ Light’
Enlightenment is neither a stage nor a destination. It is simply a state of being.
Enlightenment makes us very sensitive to different aspects of life.
From outside we don’t look much different than before, but the inside undergoes a metamorphosis.
Our real self has no boundaries, follows no rules, and has no fears, personal agendas, agreements, of disagreements with anyone.
Our real self is generous. It effortlessly gives of itself and feels a natural positivity in life.
MEDITATION QUOTES
Prayer is when you talk to god; meditation is when god talks to you.
Quiet the mind, and soul will speak
Mediation can reintroduce you to the part that is been missing.
Enlightenment is when a wave realizes it is the ocean.
The root of suffering is attachment.
Real communication happens in silence.
When meditation is mastered, the mind is unwavering like the flame of lamp in a windless place.
Meditation is the tongue of the soul and the language of our spirit.
Health , the light body, freedom from cravings, a glowing skin, sonorous voice, fragrance of body these signs indicate progress in the practice of meditation.
Ignore is the disease, understanding is the remedy. Unconsciousness is the problem, meditation is the solution.
To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrender.
Seek truth in meditation, not in moldy books. Look in the sky to find the moon, not in the pond.
When one begins to remember the self, meditation then becomes supreme knowledge.
No meditation no life, know the meditation know the life.
The body benefits from movement, and the mind benefits from stillness.
The goal of meditation is not to control your thoughts, it is to stop letting them control you.
Happy people build their inner world. Unhappy people blame their outer world.
If you light a lamp for somebody, it will also brighten your path.
