WHY MEDITATION IS VITAL TO YOUR WELL-BEING?

Meditation. Is there a right way or a right time to meditate? Can certain people meditate more than others? Is meditation for everybody or only a select few? In the last few years, more and more people have been turning to meditation for different reasons. Imagine a world where everything around you drives you insane; the boss at work is giving you so much stuff that you can’t handle. The drive from your job is full of angry drivers that pass you by at high speed. And when you come home, all you do is clean your house, cook, and take care of your family. Don’t you think it’s time to take a few minutes for yourself, close your eyes, and dive into a world of bliss and serenity?

MEDITATION AND HAPPINESS

One of the reasons people meditate is to cope with life. When you take a few minutes for yourself rather than focusing on your daily problems, you will find calmness, tranquility, and a way to cope with stress. At the same time, meditation has been shown to make people happier and to give their busy lives a little break now and then. Studies show that happiness is not about the circumstances surrounding your life but how you process them.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF MEDITATION

Apart from happiness, meditation improves health. It stabilizes blood pressure, protects people from heart disease, and aids weight loss. Another medical benefit of meditation is the elimination of insomnia. Men and women who meditate before bedtime have found themselves sleeping better at night, waking up well-rested, and having more energy throughout the day. At the same time, people who meditate recover faster from cancer, AIDS, ADHD, and harmful addictions.

THE POSITIVE IMPACT ON RELATIONSHIP

People who meditate have seen a significant improvement in their relationships with their family, friends, and co-workers. In the work-related field, yoga boosts creativity, and on many occasions, people who engage in meditation get promoted faster. For people attending school; taking a few minutes for themselves helps the body eliminate stress and improves academic performance. For athletes, relaxing techniques help them stay focused, increase their stamina, and improve motor skills.

Finally, people who engage in meditation do so to reach a higher level of enlightenment and even to have religious experiences. The bottom line is that meditation has many benefits that a person can enjoy. This world will open your way to a more blissful and purposeful life. Everybody can practice it, no matter their age, religion, and faith. Just close your eyes, relax, and dive into the world of meditation.

VIPASSANA

One of the most popular meditations out there is vipassana. This meditation involves focusing your mind on promoting inner peace and relaxation. One of the best ways to meditate is to focus on yourself without being judgmental. In Vipassana you focus on the problem at hand without giving fear and sadness power over your mental and emotional health. The goal is to quiet your mind and focus on what is happening at present instead of worrying about the future.

Don’t fight your fears and emotions, and don’t dwell on the past. Vipassana meditation helps alleviate stress, reduce anxiety, and improve mental wellness. The best way to meditate is to set aside 15 minutes daily, go to a private, secluded place where no one can bother you, sit in a comfortable position, and breathe with your eyes opened or closed. Think of your state of being and everything that surrounds you without dwelling on your problems.

ISHA KRYA

Isha Kriya involves three elements: awareness, breathing, and thought.  Start by sitting in a cross-legged posture with your back straight, then place your arms on your thighs with your palms facing up. Next, tilt your head back a little bit and close your eyes. Inhale gently and mentally say, “I am not the body.” When you exhale, mentally say, “I am not even the mind.” Repeat this for about 10 minutes. When you are finished, open your mouth and loudly say “Aaaaaa.” Then take a break and repeat. For the final step, relax for five to eight minutes. Try this meditation every day for incredible results. Isha Kriya calms the nervous system, eliminates anxiety, improves your health, and gives energy to the whole body.

TRASCENDENTAL MEDITATION

Transcendental meditation is one of the simplest forms of meditation. It is effortless and can be done anywhere for only 20 minutes once or twice a day. The main idea behind this form of meditation is to eliminate stress, worries, and anxiety and find peace and calmness. Imagine the ocean during a storm: on the surface, you have ten or twenty-foot waves and yet the bottom of the sea is calm. The goal of transcendental meditation is to replace your noisy, stressful life with serenity and inner peace. Yogi believes that there are two minds: the active, full of worries and anxiety, and beneath its surface lies a tranquil and peaceful mind.

Transcendental meditation helps us bring the calm mind to the surface, just like during deep sleep. There is a hormone in our body called cortisol, which is linked with anxiety and stress. When the cortisol level is up, we are stressed and anxious; when cortisol levels are down, we are calm and relaxed. This type of meditation lowers cortisol by a significant amount, and it increases serotonin, raising the levels of happiness in the body. People who engage in this form of meditation have low cholesterol, normal blood pressure, and a much lower risk of stroke, heart attack, and bipolar disorder, among many other benefits. The key to this kind of meditation is chanting a mantra. The downside is that you need a teacher who will help you with this kind of meditation.

GUIDED MEDITATION

Another form of meditation that people engage in is guided meditation. This form of reflection requires one-on-one interaction with a teacher, yogi, or guru and cannot be done alone. For guided meditation, you need a high level of confidence between you and a teacher you can trust with your mind, health, and, ultimately, your life—someone who will make your wellbeing a top priority.

MINDFUL MEDITATION

Mindful meditation lives in the “now.” This meditation helps us let go of past problems by focusing on the present. It allows the practitioner to focus on everything around them and let go of all worries and stress. The best place to practice is in a tranquil and beautiful place—near a lake, by the river, or even in your garden. Somewhere away from the noise of daily life, where you can turn off your cellphone and be alone with your surroundings.

CHAKRA MEDITATION

Chakra meditation is all about releasing your chakra energy. The ancient gurus believed that the body has seven chakras. The first one, the Root Chakra, is found at the bottom of the spine and is the chakra that handles the foundation upon which we build our lives, safety, and security. The Sacral Chakra is right under our navel and controls our creativity and sexuality. The Solar Plexus Chakra, located below the chest, guides our self-esteem, willpower, and pleasure.

In meditation the Heart Chakra, located at the center of the chest; provides the key to our relationships and romantic life. Next, the Throat Chakra, lets us communicate our thoughts and feelings with the people surrounding us. Next, the Third Eye Chakra, located at the center of our forehead, represents intuition and foresight. Finally, The Crown, located on the top of the head, represents the higher consciousness and the connection between us and the divine.

But what are chakras, and why are they so important? According to yoga traditions, when the chakras are open, energy can flow through the body, keeping the body balanced and healthy. If one or more chakras are closed, health problems occur. When it comes to chakra meditation, there are a thousand ways to meditate. Find where you have a blockage of energy in your body and which chakra corresponds to your problem and meditate. There are endless chakra meditations—some are found online, some are found in books, and some are even found in yoga classes—all you must do is decide which path you have to take.

SLEEP MEDITATION

One of the most effortless meditations out there is sleep meditation. This form is best done before going to bed because it lets you relax and eliminate stress. Studies show that people who have problems going to sleep or staying asleep wake up often during the night, and when it’s time to start a new day are tired, dizzy, and frustrated. Even though people need around eight hours of sleep during the night, more than a third of us sleep less than six hours a night.

There are many ways to meditate before bedtime. One involves listening to relaxing music. Another involves going to a happy place and imagining yourself there—on a beach, in a forest, somewhere with loved ones. Another way to release stress is focusing on different body parts and imagining the tension and stress leaving the body. Yet another involves an imaginative river coming over you and washing away all your worries. Finally, count how many breaths you take; this technique will make you focus on your breath instead of over analyzing your day and stressing about what you haven’t accomplished.

ZEN MUSIC

Sound is essential to the human mind. A good meditation is listening to calming music and focusing on something that bring you joy and tranquility. While loud sounds scare us, gentle sounds comfort us. Practically every sound triggers a memory or an emotional state. For example, the sound of a siren can trigger sadness or anxiety, while the sound of a waterfall can trigger a state of relaxation. One of the best ways to meditate is to listen to music. The key, of course, is finding which songs relax you and listening to them before bedtime or whenever you feel stressed. Recently, scientists discovered that specific frequencies affect the brain and end mood a certain way. By listening to these frequencies, you can heal your body and mind.

In meditation world the 396 Hz is a healing frequency and cleanses the body from guilt and fear while at the same time bringing happiness to our lives. This frequency also helps achieve goals and eliminates negative thoughts. The 417 Hz frequency cleanses the negativity from our bodies. This frequency also enriches our lives and allows us to begin a new and positive chapter after a tragedy occurs. Sometimes called the “change” frequency, 417 Hz removes negative energy from the body and the world surrounding us. 417Hz is also beneficial for people who suffered accidents and trauma because it’s a healing frequency.

THE LOVE FREQUENCY

Music is the key to meditation. The Love Frequency, 582Hz, helps reduce stress and brings harmony to our bodies by eliminating cortisol. The healing power of the 582 Hz frequency gives us self-confidence, self-esteem, and a significant amount of energy. The 639 Hz frequency helps interpersonal relationships, brings harmony to our family and social life, and teaches us to be more tolerant and understanding of others. The 741 Hz frequency removes toxins from body cells, cleanses the body from electromagnetic radiation, and purifies the mind. This frequency also helps you lead a healthy, spiritual and simpler life.

The 852 Hz frequency returns the body to the spiritual order. It opens a line of communication to the divine and higher spiritual energy while promoting inner strength and fortifying one’s intuition. The 963 Hz frequency is all about positive energy, while the highest vibration opens the door to cosmic energy, meditation and spiritual enlightenment. If you feel disconnected from the rest of the world, this frequency is for you.

LOVING KINDNESS

Loving-kindness meditation is about finding a special place to meditate, relax, and feel at peace with yourself. Think how happy you are with yourself, with your flaws and your weaknesses. Imagine yourself in a state of perfect bliss. Be happy with who you are. You can also shift your focus to someone you love or someone that brings joy into your life. It doesn’t have to be someone you are romantically involved with; it can simply be a special friend or your son, daughter, mother, or sister. Once you have that person in mind, send them telepathically your love. You can also send positive thoughts to everybody in your family, your friends, and co-workers. Send your love to everybody you care about.

Why do people meditate? We engage in meditation to achieve a goal. To be more relaxed, to release fear and anxiety. To be at peace with the world that surrounds us. It is best to meditate daily and not wait until your breaking point arrives. It is best to find just 20 minutes in your daily life, find a comfortable spot in your house, and whatever method you choose, have these goals in mind: your well being, mental health, and spiritual health. Giver meditation a try and you will see a change in your life in no time.