| The stressful lives we lead today take their toll on | | | | process counteracted the effects of the |
| our health. Mental stress and physical fatigue drain | | | | sympathetic nervous system - the one that |
| us of our positive energy leaving us depleted | | | | wants to fight or flee. Whereas the sympathetic |
| physically, mentally and emotionally. Considered to | | | | system dilates the pupils and gets the heart rate, |
| be part of alternative medicine, meditation is fast | | | | respiration and blood pressure up, the |
| gaining popularity amongst conventional medical | | | | parasympathetic system, activated when we |
| practitioners as well. Patients are increasingly being | | | | meditate, does just the opposite. |
| advised to meditate for sometime in the day, | | | | Muscle tension decreases, blood pressure drops, |
| which is believed to have a positive effect along | | | | and for some extraordinary practitioners, even |
| with the allopathic medicines prescribed for a | | | | temperature and basal metabolism rates drop |
| number of medical conditions. | | | | during a prolonged meditation. Oxygen needs of |
| What is meditation? | | | | the body are reduced when you are in a highly |
| Meditation is a technique that helps us focus and | | | | relaxed state, and brain waves change from the |
| calms the mind resulting in relaxed and restful | | | | busy beta waves to the blissful alpha waves. |
| state of physical and mental being. Meditation is | | | | Meditation Techniques |
| generally focused on one constant thing, usually | | | | There are two major approaches to meditation, |
| your breath. Meditation is an effective tool to gain | | | | which are Concentrative Meditation and |
| mind control, self-awareness and understanding | | | | Mindfulness Meditation. These can be explained as |
| that eventually lead to inner calm and | | | | follows - |
| peacefulness. For people practice meditation, it can | | | | 1. Concentrative Meditation |
| lead to profound experiences of self-realization | | | | The approach to still the mind is to focus the |
| and transcendental awareness and knowledge. A | | | | attention on the breath, image or sound (mantra). |
| proven alternative therapy, meditation is a known | | | | This gives way to greater awareness and clarity. |
| stress reliever. | | | | In its most basic form concentrative meditation |
| Meditation is beneficial not only psychologically but | | | | requires you to sit quietly and focus your |
| is known to have positive effects on various | | | | attention on your breath. Practitioners of yoga |
| health conditions ranging from blood pressure, | | | | and meditation believe that there is a direct |
| insomnia to even depression. There are different | | | | correlation between one's state of mind and one's |
| techniques of meditation that people follow today. | | | | breath. For e.g. when a person is anxious, |
| These are a product of diverse cultures and | | | | frightened, agitated or distracted, the breath will |
| peoples around the world. The power of | | | | tend to be shallow, rapid and irregular. On the |
| meditation has been harnessed to alleviate pain, | | | | other hand, when the mind is calm, focused and |
| suffering and promote healing for centuries in | | | | composed, the breath tends to be slow, deep and |
| different cultures and religions, in some or the | | | | regular. |
| other form. | | | | 2. Mindfulness Meditation |
| Types of meditation | | | | In this type of meditation, the mind is aware of all |
| There are various types of meditation that | | | | that is happening around you. You just observe |
| originate from various parts of the world. Prayer | | | | the sounds, feelings, sensations, images, thoughts, |
| is possibly the most common one, the others are | | | | smells etc without getting involved in them or |
| Transcendental Meditation, mindfulness meditation, | | | | thing about them. The person is just like a |
| Zen meditation, Buddhist Meditation and Taoist | | | | spectator who is witnessing everything but one |
| Meditation. | | | | who does not react or get involved with |
| The body under meditation | | | | thoughts, memories, feelings, worries or images. |
| Scientific experimentation and research has found | | | | This helps to gain a more calm, clear and |
| out how the human body reacts under profound | | | | non-reactive state of mind. |
| meditation. It has been found that the meditation | | | | |