Is Meditation Healthy?

For centuries, meditation has helped many become better versions of themselves. From the improvement of mental health to the enhancement of physical health, and better social interactions, people who meditate have attested to the numerous benefits of the practice. Meditation is such an amazing experience with lots of benefits. One of the amazing facts about meditation is that there are various ways of practicing it. You can choose a meditation technique that best suits your personality and temperament and practice it. In this article, we’ll discuss the five most widely practiced meditation techniques and how to engage in them. People from various parts of the world have practiced these techniques for centuries, and no doubt, they are highly beneficial. Let’s explore them, so you get to choose the best techniques for you. We’ll also discuss some meditation tips and facts. Keep reading!

5 Simple Meditation Techniques

Spiritual Meditation

Spiritual meditation helps you stay in the present and look beyond the chaotic world we’re currently in. It entails the liberty of letting thoughts flow without trying to control them. Spiritual meditation relaxes your nerves and helps your body unwind easily. It particularly helps you let go of the bad and seek positivity.

Vipassana Meditation

Vipassana meditation is one of the most ancient meditation techniques that are still relevant in this present time. Buddha taught this technique 2,500 years ago to help people understand the essence of your existence. It’s got a lasting and permanent effect on those who practice it. It specifically improves relationships and makes people more forgiving and accommodating to the opinion of others, together with their problems.

Raja Yoga Meditation

The first mention of Raja yoga meditation was in the Bhagavad Gita, a Hindu scripture. It became popular when Swami Vivekananda propagated it in the 19th century. Raja yoga meditation improves sanity by employing silence and introspection and keeps you sane. It also enhances clarity and improves concentration. It increases self-worth and even makes people healthier. Constant practice of Raja yoga helps people find a purpose in life and work towards it.

Zen Meditation

Zen meditation originates from Chinese Buddhism. Bodhidharma, a South Indian king who traveled to the Oriental regions to propagate Buddhism conceptualized it, and monks widely practiced it in monasteries, even to date. Zen meditation is now common in modern societies. It relieves stress and relaxes the mind, helping people solve the core of their problems instead of employing temporary solutions. Zen meditation also encourages making wiser choices in dealing with life’s issues.

Shiva Meditation

Shiva meditation is a powerful process of meditating upon deep and cosmic energy. It builds universal consciousness and entails understanding the world at a subconscious level. Shiva meditation has health benefits such as increasing stamina and stabilizing blood pressure. It also strengthens the immune system and eases out stressed muscles. Most importantly, it changes one’s reactions to life’s happenings, by making them take less lightly, unnecessary matters.

4 Important Meditation Tips

Not many people do meditation right, perhaps because they don’t know certain requirements. Adhering to appropriate meditation techniques helps you get the best of the practice. These are some basic tips that you need to follow to ensure that you have a great time meditating. Let’s discuss four of them!

Meditate at the Right Time

Mornings are the best time to meditate, specifically 20 minutes to 4 a. m. If that is too early, it’s also fine to meditate at about sunrise. Mornings are best for meditation because they set the mood of the day. When you meditate in the morning, you face the entire day with renewed zeal to efficiently deal with its challenges.

Meditate in a Peaceful Place

The location you meditate matters a whole lot. Be sure to choose a serene place that has the right amount of lighting. If it is an outdoor space, ensure there are no external elements which might disturb your flow. Calm sounds like that of a chirping bird and a slight breeze are fine, but nothing as loud as a barking dog or a might rushing wind.

If you’re meditating at home, then a quiet corner or your favorite room in the house is okay. Also remember to keep the gadgets away and keep some essentials around, to avoid getting up while meditating.

Comfortable Clothing

What should you wear while meditating? Light and medium fitting cotton clothes are the best for meditation. Avoid heavy clothing or whatever will make you hot. Just choose something that’s ideal for the weather, and won’t distract you.

Warm-Up

It is essential that you do some exercises to stretch your muscles and get your body system ready before meditating. Remember that you may be sitting at a stretch during your meditation, so you need to be fit and flexible to achieve this.

Quick Meditation Facts

• Approximately 200–500 million people meditate globally.
• Meditation can reduce the wake time of those who suffer insomnia by 50%.
• Mindfulness meditation is capable of reducing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder 73% of the time.
• You can have increased attention span after only 4 consecutive days of meditating.
• About 10 times more children meditated in 2017 than they did in 2012.
• By 2022, the value of the US meditation market will rise a bit above $2 billion.
• In 2018, 52% of employers provided mindfulness classes to their employees.
• Meditation reduced school suspensions by 45%.
• Over 14% of US adults have tried to meditate at least once.
• The number of people practicing meditation has tripled since 2012.
• Meditation is as popular as yoga in the US.
• Studies show that women are more likely to meditate than men.
• 75% of insomniacs who started a daily meditation program succeeded in falling asleep within 20 minutes of going to bed.
• Women with PMS showed signs of improvement after 5 months of daily meditation.
• Relaxation therapy is a helpful measure in treating chronic pain patients.
• Meditation enhances empathy and inspires social connections.
• 60% of people living with anxiety showed remarkable improvements in anxiety levels after 6-9 months of meditation.
• Meditation increases mental endurance and resilience.
• Meditation has relieved lower back pain more than numerous over-the-counter prescription medications.
• Even though meditation benefits both genders, women have shown more signs of mindfulness and self-compassion after consistent sessions of meditation.
• Meditation reduces stress, and as a result, enhances creativity and innovation.
• Mindful meditation has been helpful in quitting smoking more than many other alternatives.
• Meditation causes some chemical changes in the brain — transcendental meditation, in particular, releases prolactin, which is a soothing hormone.
• The most popular types of meditation are spiritual, focused, movement, mindfulness, mantra, and transcendental.
• People who practice yoga and some other kinds of meditation show improved mitochondrial energy production, resilience, and consumption.
• Studies have shown the link between meditation and the immune system.
• The brains of longtime meditators show fewer signs of aging than the brains of their non-meditating counterparts.
• People who meditate have been able to curb impulse shopping than those who don’t.

Now that you Know…

You have learned more meditation techniques, giving you the opportunity to explore diverse ways to engage your mind and connect better with the spiritual for the improvement of your mental health and social connections. You may try as many techniques as possible, then settle for the one that suits you best. Whatever you decide, remember that consistency is key.