Meditation: An Ancient And Culturally Rich Life

Meditation helps Buddhists to understand that the Buddha should be treated as their example, and the attachment on things and how to cope with the feelings of unselfishness and desiring. It helps Buddhists to develop genuine emotions, rejoice in the happiness of others, and do everything they can to free others from suffering. It can help you become a more loving person in daily life.

For more than five thousand years, meditation has been a part of human life. Though it has its roots in Hinduism, most religions throughout the globe practice one form of meditation or another.

During the last decade scientific interest in meditation and mindfulness has bloomed like a lotus flower. There are numerous studies demonstrating various positive outcomes of mindfulness meditation (MM). But, what is mindfulness? What are the mechanisms behind MM that help facilitate these positive outcomes including improved physical health, psychological well-being, and cognition? The concept of mindfulness has its roots in Buddhist philosophy and is a key element of Buddhist meditation practices. The word mindfulness derives from the Pali word Sati which can be found in early Buddhist scriptures like the Abhidhamma which is a compilation of Buddhist psychology and philosophy (Chiesa & Malinowski, 2011). The word Sati

Meditation therapy places one's mind into an Alpha (resting) or theta (relaxing) brainwave state and causes the brain's rhythm to slow and antibodies and endorphins (natural pain killers) to be released into the patient's system. The body's metabolism, breathing and heart rate will slow and blood pressure will decrease. Simply put, at its core, meditation therapy will help patients clear their minds of all toxic thoughts, concentrate and focus on themselves, help them practice patience and prepare them for recovery.

Many people believe that medication is an ancient Eastern art that is 'not for them.' However, more and more people are discovering that meditation can be a great way to reduce the stresses of modern life. Scientific evidence indicates that meditation can improve health by curtailing anxiety, bolstering the immune system, improving circulation, and even ease physical symptoms like high cholesterol, pain, and insomnia. The article by Frances Lefkowitz entitled "Meditation made easy" from Natural Health suggests that people who may have struggled with meditating in the past because of distractions or intimidation may simply have not tried the right type of meditation. Some people prefer walking while others prefer sitting in a comfortable position. Some prefer silence while others prefer focusing on a mantra, repeating the same words over and over again. Starting slowly beginning with a few minutes and gradually working up to longer periods of time reduces the intimidation factor.

The study shows that meditation can positively affect brain function. It may sound illogical, how could mind training actually impact the physical structure of the brain. However, the study shows that mindfulness mediation could enhance the function of one’s memory, sense of self, empathy and stress response. Practice of mindfulness mediation is like the brain talking to itself, the thoughts are floating through our consciousness. By doing more mediation, the brain can get more practices. Therefore, neural responses would be shorter; the brain can have more time to rest.

Citing "advice from some of the world's leading meditation instructors," Lefkowitz provides a detailed and practical guide on the importance and method of meditation, "a tried and true way to calm your mind" (68). In fact, the article reads like a manual, complete with the question-answer style of a teacher instructing a class. The author does not treat the topic of meditation in a simplistic way, as if there were only one way to meditate for one type of person, but outlines several ways to meditate for people of different abilities and tastes. For example, Lefkowitz tellsmulti-taskers who find prolonged periods of concentration difficult to "find a practice style that's right for you" (68). These practice styles, including their goals and method, are the substance of this article, and include basic breathing meditation, mindfulness meditation, listening meditation, mantra meditation, and walking meditation (Lefkowitz 2010, 68-72). The goal for meditation in general is to focus on "one thing in order to deepen your awareness of the present moment" (68). Lefkowitz argues for the medical benefits of meditation, particularly that it can "boost the immune system, improve circulation, lower cholesterol, ease chronic pain, end insomnia, counter anxiety, relieve gastrointestinal distress and actually extend your lifespan" (68).

Meditation is an act that can be done in different ways. Whether you focus on one specific thing and brining your attention back where your mind wanders or where you pay all attention to all the things happening around you by simply noticing everything and not reacting. With modern technology, scientists have discovered what happens in the human brain during meditation and its effects. There has been a decrease in beta waves, wherein the brain would stop processing information actively as they normally would. Brain activities such as reasoning, planning, processing of information and more, tends to slow down, go offline, reduces flow and it dials back the

In Eastern cultures, meditation has been practiced for over two thousand years. Through this training a culture has developed in which an individual is empowered to engaged in preventative behaviors, which reduce stress and morbidity, resulting in a general state of wellbeing, with stability and mental peace in the face of everyday challenges (Richardson and Lutz, 2008). Over the last half-century, the western-scientific community has begun to evaluate the efficacy of the eastern methods of meditation. In the modern western world there is an over abundance of stress, pressure and over

Mindfulness meditation consists of skills and methods to unplug from the busy world around you and from the busy 'monkey brain ' so often experienced in today 's life and particularly in ADHD, anxiety and depression. According to Jon Kabat-Zinn, mindfulness meditation trains and reinforces the ability to pay attention to the present moment, on purpose which helps to increase concentration, decrease anxiety, improve sleep, improve mood, decrease the stress response, and improve physical and emotional health. The studies are compelling about the health benefits of mindfulness meditation. In fact, studies show that mindfulness meditation actually changes the brain in positive ways. The cortex of the brain is thicker in certain areas of the brain in those who practice mindfulness meditation. And brainwave patterns are changed in healthy ways as well.

One of the most challenging obstacles new meditators face is the expectation of instant results. I remember a conversation with someone whose doctor recommended he learn to meditate. He had heard that I wrote the book and wanted to ask me some questions. Mind you; he didn 't want to read the book. He said to me, can 't you just give me what meditation is about in 5 quick bullet points so that I can decide whether or not it 's for me.

As a transformational process, meditation can not only produce profound, subjective experiences, it has also been shown to be accompanied by various measurable physiological changes. Some physiological changes may only be measured clinically, such as blood pressure. Other longer term effects include reduced symptoms of depression; greater emotional stability; improved sleep; easier management of eating impulses; lower inflammatory hormones and improved immunity.

Meditation as a whole and not just Buddhist meditation is a process that a person uses to quiet the mind and body so one can become away of a higher truth. Meditation has been incorporated in virtually all religions around the world. Of course not all religions use the actual term "meditation", it can be referred to as praying the rosary and so on. Meditation is not always and does not need to be associated with religion. There are plenty of people that meditate daily who have no religious affiliation or even believe in God. Meditation can stand on its own without religion, do to the many health benefits both physically and psychologically. A successful meditation is when the mind becomes quiet without thoughts and the meditator is no longer aware of the body.

Mindfulness meditation is meditation lets feelings, thoughts, and sensations exists without judgement. It is meditation that does not focus on a single word, or mantra, one’s breathing, or any one single thing (Tarrasch 2015). It is freedom to exist in the present place in time. Mindfulness meditation is important to study because it may have many positive effects in everyday life. These effects can go beyond just stress relief or a general clamming experience. “Indeed, perhaps the most significant outcome of mindfulness meditation is the capacity to adopt an ‘‘observing self’’” (Tarrasch 2015).

Meditation can destroy the stress accumulated during the day and bring you inner peace. Now we'll show you how easy it is to learn to meditate when you need it most.