Meditation 101
Renee Singh
Meditation is one of the most highly recommended ways to manage stress. I have been meaning to do a series on meditation as I find it so very beneficial but here I will give you a general overview on how it can help in managing stress in almost every sphere of life.
Benefits of meditationnReverses the stress response
- Shields you from the effects of chronic stress
- Heart rate and breathing slow down
- Blood Pressure normalises
- Adrenalin glands produce less cortisol
- Mind ages at a slower rate
- Immune system improves
- Creativity increases as mind gets clearer
- Can give up on smoking and drinking easily
We can always start with small series of meditations, five to twenty minutes is sufficient. Meditation need not necessarily have a religious tinge; it can be just a secular exercise. It is a great free method to relieve stress, always available effective in short term stress reduction. You realise the benefits very quickly. No side effects here like other therapies. No special equipment required. You just have to find the time to connect to your self and the inclination.
Basics of meditation
There is a common thread running through all meditation techniques:
Check your thoughts
As the thinking mind quietens we stop focussing on our daily lives problems. Practicing quietening the mind is very important as this is the only way that our negative thinking process can be changed.
Being in the now
A habit of living in the past or the future exists in all of us. It is very important to live in the here and the now. Living life to the fullest is our inherent duty towards ourselves. To experience each and every moment to the fullest, we need to learn to let it go. This needs practice too. We are so busy trying to relive our past and future very mutually that the here and now is completely ignored.
Altered consciousness
The great thing about meditation is that it alters our level of consciousness. We can get into a level of thought which we are not consciously touching. Focused concentration on one point allows our minds to get away from our immediate environment and get into a single thought process. This is very relaxing as we are not distracted by various thoughts all the time.
Meditation is a one of a kind process which relaxes us and de-stresses us in the best way possible.
Types of meditation
Various ways of meditation are possible we need to find the one most suitable to us.
Discussing these ways is a lengthy process that we will indulge in. Meantime just go deep within yourself, connect, sit down quietly with this feeling and enjoy. Every little action of ours can be a simple form of meditation whether it is chewing your food, driving or playing a game. Do it with complete focus.
(Singh is a Chandigarh-based psychotherapist)
