Beyond just the physical benefit and the mental relaxation that meditating brings about, regular meditation is also beneficial for personal growth in a number of different ways. I have observed this personally, and also in those who attend my yoga classes and yoga therapy sessions. The meditative state helps us discover depths that we did not know existed within us. It helps us reach heights that we thought were impossible to scale.
Benefits of meditation according to the experts
Though meditation has been practiced for thousands of years, it is only now that medical experts are researching and ascertaining its many benefits. Anyone can meditate at any place and any time – even with time constraints and disabilities. This has refocused attention on the myriad benefits of this age-old practice. According to Mayo Clinic, meditation calms the mind, lowers stress and enhances emotional as well as physical wellbeing. There is also evidence to show that meditation helps to manage and control symptoms of several medical conditions and that it can be a valuable addition to a treatment protocol.
Yoga and meditation are natural allies since yoga is also a way for us to be mindful of our thoughts, actions and breathing process. These are ways to concentrate the minds and refine focus. The mind and body work together to create deep relaxation and a sense of wellbeing. This permeates the physical body as well as the emotional state, and has a holistic positive impact.
How meditation helps in self-improvement
The time you spend in meditating is the time you spend solely with yourself – it is the time that you focus your mental energies within yourself. You cut out distraction and the stress of a million niggling problems that keep the mind troubled and active. Meditation is the training of the mind – the चंचल मन – to become calmer and more disciplined. This lets us control our thoughts and emotions so that we are less prone to distraction, anger, irritation and helplessness, and effectively lowers stress. Lower stress levels (and stress hormones) are associated with better heart health, lower obesity rates and better management of inflammatory problems and diseases such as diabetes.
Improved control of the mind and its emotions and proper channeling of thought processes frees up more mind-space for creative, productive processes. Where earlier you may have found your workday to be difficult and boring, the mental training involved in meditation could actually help. As your concentration improves at work, you may find yourself becoming more alert and productive. You may find that you no longer feel drained and tired at the end of the day since your mental energies have been utilized more efficiently with less energy wasted in needless distraction. As your stress levels decrease, you find that you are able to work more harmoniously with your co-workers, your anger management is better, and the little things that used to irritate you no longer have the power to do so. The fact is that meditation helps you use your brain more efficiently, and makes you a calmer, happier person. It helps you grow and evolve as a person, which in turn helps you overcome your own limitations.