Meditation has been known as a spiritual practice for thousands of years, popular among lots of cultures throughout time, but recently it has been highly promoted as a way to de-stress and improve mental and physical health— some pretty great benefits!
According to UC Davis Health, proven benefits of meditation include reduced stress, improved attention and memory, better sleep, and lower blood pressure (among many others). However, it’s not just as simple as closing your eyes and sitting with legs crossed.
The goal of meditation is to achieve a clear mind— no wandering thoughts or feelings, no matter how tempting they may be during such a silent exercise. According to Stanford Magazine, the area of the brain responsible for thoughts about the past and the future, the default mode network, becomes less active for meditators, while the area responsible for bodily awareness, the insula, increases in activity. So what’s the best way to achieve such a peaceful state?
The key is self-awareness. Sitting in a quiet environment will make it easy for your thoughts to wander, but being consciously aware of your mind and your body will bring you back to the state you want. Reduce the sensory noise around you by picking a quiet spot, closing your eyes, and sitting comfortably with good posture. Focus on breathing slowly, rhythmically, and controlled, and try your best to feel present within your own self. Most importantly, notice when your mind wanders, and simply direct it back to focus on your breathing. It won’t be a perfect process, but that’s perfectly okay.
Meditation isn’t easy, but the results show that it is very worth it! If you think you could benefit from it, give it a try, and even make it a habit. In our stressful lives we can always benefit from more peace, and meditation is a great start to that end goal.
Sources:
https://stanfordmag.org/contents/what-happens-when-you-meditate
https://health.ucdavis.edu/blog/cultivating-health/10-health-benefits-of-meditation-and-how-to-focus-on-mindfulness-and-compassion/2022/12
