Top 9 Benefits of Meditation

Author Precio Daramola

Posted on May 3, 2021

Top 9 Benefits of Meditation

All over the world, the practice of meditation is greatly recognized because of its proven benefits. In addition to being used to increase awareness of yourself and your surroundings, it is also an effective way to reduce stress and develop concentration. Meditation has a whole lot of benefits; it can also be used to develop other beneficial habits and feelings— such as a positive mood and outlook, self-discipline, healthy sleep patterns and the ability to cope with the stress of daily life. Practicing meditation for even a short time in a day can have significant positive effects on your health and general well-being. The following are some top benefits of meditation you should know:

1. Meditation reduces Stress

Sometimes, we can get really busy and occupied with so many activities that we can manage. In this state we tend to experience issues like stress, worry and tension. Meditation has long been known to be an excellent way to relieve stress. Meditation can help reduce levels of cortisol, the stress hormone produced by your body. Meditation may also help reduce heart rate and blood pressure, which tend to increase during times of stress. By helping you deal with stress, meditation therefore to keep your body healthier.

2. Meditation improves your emotional health

Meditation has been proven to help reduce depression. It can help you defeat depression and enhance an improved self-image. In essence, meditation is good for your emotional health because it helps to reduce anxiety, improve mood, increase happiness, and decrease irritability.

3. Meditation enhances your attention span

There are a lot of distractions everywhere, and practising meditation is one of the ways to help you concentrate. Meditation is a means to improve your attention span because it can help increase the endurance of your focus. People who practice meditation find it easier to focus on a task longer than those who don’t meditate.

4. Meditation works for anxiety

Usually, individuals who have anxiety struggle with powerful, negative, and distracting thoughts; making it difficult for them to differentiate between problem-solving thinking and mere worrying— that is not beneficial. Meditation is very useful in helping you deal with anxiety; it has also been found to help reduce the symptoms related to anxiety disorders, such as social anxiety, panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, paranoid thoughts, and phobias. Of all the categories of meditation, mindfulness meditation works best for treating anxiety. Mindfulness teaches you to differentiate between helpful thoughts and non-helpful thoughts that could even lead to depression in the long run.

5. Meditation improves memory

If you often find yourself forgetting things easily, mediation could be of great help— as it helps to boost memory. Research has shown that there is a clear link between meditation and memory. Frequent meditation improves the blood flow in the cortex region of your brain and thickens the cerebral cortex that deals with mental functions like memory and learning. Meditating for as low as 20 minutes can have a significant effect on memory improvement and concentration. In addition to fighting normal age-related memory loss, meditation can at least partially improve memory in patients with dementia. It can likewise help control stress and improve coping in those caring for family members with dementia. The good thing about meditation is that it can be done anywhere, even at the comfort of your home. Once you’ve found which type of meditation suits you the most, then you are good to go with it.

6. Meditation generates self-awareness

Self-awareness is an inner exploration and self-reflection of your strengths, weaknesses, thoughts, beliefs, emotions, and motivations. Meditation is the best way to create an awareness of yourself and enhancing self-discovery. Having a greater awareness of your thoughts can prove helpful in steering harmful thoughts towards positivity. Self-awareness makes it even easier for you to understand other people, the way they perceive you and your attitude/response to them at a particular moment. Some forms of meditation may help you develop a stronger understanding of yourself, helping you grow into the best version of yourself. For example, the aim of self-inquiry meditation is to help you develop a greater understanding of yourself and how you relate to those around you. Other forms of meditation may teach you to recognize thoughts that may be harmful or self-defeating. The logic behind this is that as you gain greater awareness of your thought habits, you can steer them toward more constructive patterns.

7. Meditation controls pain

Your perception of pain is connected to your state of mind, and it can be get elevated when you find yourself in stressful conditions. Many people who suffer from chronic pain are not aware of the importance of meditation in helping to alleviate pain. Some research suggests that making meditation a part of your daily routine could be beneficial for controlling pain. Numerous studies have shown that meditation can significantly reduce pain and it is quite easier, since it is something you can learn to do all by yourself.

8. Meditation can help treat addictions

In most cases, addictions are mostly associated with emotional causes such as stress, depression, fear, worry, anxiety, or pessimism. The improved mental health derived through meditation can help you fight your dependencies. Research shows that continuous practice of meditation can help you understand the causes of your addictive behaviors and thus increase your willpower and control over them. Meditation works by allowing the mind detach from those addictive thoughts.

9. It can decrease blood pressure

Over time, high blood pressure makes the heart work harder to pump blood, which can subsequently lead to poor heart function. High blood pressure if not properly managed may also contribute to atherosclerosis, or a narrowing of the arteries, which can lead to heart attack and stroke. Blood pressure decreases not only during meditation but also over time in individuals who meditate regularly. This can reduce strain on the heart and arteries, helping prevent heart disease. Practising some related meditation techniques can help you improve physical health by reducing strain on the heart.

Conclusion

The benefits of meditation cannot be overemphasized. Meditation is something everyone can do to improve their mental and emotional health. Practicing meditation for a few minutes in a day can have significant positive effects on your health and general well-being. Finally, anyone can learn meditation, but it is a gradual process that requires constant practising and commitment.

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