Guided Meditations
Meditation is used to take a deliberate break from the stream of thoughts that are constantly flowing in and out of our minds. While some people use it to promote spiritual growth or find inner peace, others use it as a relaxation and stress-reduction tool. Simply focus on freeing your mind of all its conscious thoughts or focus on the sounds you are hearing now, your breathing, or your eyes moving over this page and you will get a taste of how meditation can be beneficial.
So you may be wondering how you can fit regular meditation, along with the time it takes to initially master it, into your schedule, while also trying to fit in those other healthy lifestyle choices like exercise, more sleep and preparing your own food. Well, this is a question that I also initially struggled with.
We are constantly stimulated in our daily lives--visually, mentally, emotionally and physically. Not surprisingly, taking a break from this stimulation can actually improve your health. Meditation provides a way to give your mind a rest and allows it to focus on one particular thing, without a barrage of outside distractions, or on nothing at all.
Other research has shown that meditation can be useful for a variety of ailments including:
- Stress, tension, anxiety and panic
- High blood pressure
- Chronic pain
- Headaches
- Respiratory problems such as emphysema and asthma
- Sleep disturbances
- Gastrointestinal distress
- Fatigue
- Skin disorders
- Mild depression
- Premenstrual syndrome
- Irritable bowel syndrome
Numerous scientific studies have confirmed the health benefits of meditation. In one study published in the July/August 2003 edition of Psychosomatic Medicine, researchers found that people who did eight weeks of meditation training produced more antibodies to a flu vaccine. Although I don't recommend the flu vaccine, this study does indicate that meditation can boost the immune system. Participants in this study who meditated also showed more signs of increased activity in brain areas related to positive emotion than people who didn't meditate. Studies have even shown that meditation can reduce or reverse cardiovascular disease and improve the ability to cope with chronic illness.
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People who have mastered meditation often say they have increased mental abilities and need to visit a doctor less often than before they began to meditate
