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