Meditation

The first recorded instructions for meditation called Dhyana , comes from the Hindu traditions of Vedantism around 1500 BCE, but many suggest that the practice extends back into prerecorded history. For me, meditation is one of the fundamental practices for Life Mastery.

During meditation, I experience a heightened state of awareness. Thoughts are no longer bouncing around like a rubber ball in an empty closet. Meditation slows the ball down, bringing me into the present. I prefer to do my practice for thirty minutes every day around noon; this makes a huge difference in how I process the second half of the day.

Here’s an article in Women’s Health magazine I found helpful called “Your Body On…Meditation” that sums up the benefits superbly:

1. Brain – Research shows that meditation can increase alpha and theta brainwave activity, which is linked to relaxation. What’s more, practicing meditation every day for two months can physically beef up some parts of your gray matter!

2. Mood – Slipping into a meditative state can light up the area of your noggin that controls complex thoughts and positive emotions. Some kinds of meditation can also build mental muscle in the brain’s other hubs for compassion, empathy, and fear, allowing you greater mastery over your emotions and helping you feel closer to others.

3. Lungs and Heart – Meditation increases activity in your parasympathetic nervous system, which controls your rest-and-digest functions (the flip side of your fight-or-flight response). Reflexively, your lungs begin to draw deeper breaths. And your heart begins to beat more slowly, causing your blood vessels to relax. In fact, regular meditation can drop your blood pressure by up to four points, lowering your risk for heart disease.

4. Willpower – It sounds too good to be true, but practicing daily meditation can lower your blood sugar levels (high ones can lead to diabetes) and may cut cravings for salty foods.

5. Immune System – One theory: Meditation helps nix the mental negativity that may dampen immune response. Another thought: Meditation can prompt your body to step up its antibody production. Whatever the biology, research shows meditators may be more able to fight off infections. They may also have better pain control when injured.

Wow!! Imagine if meditation were a pill your Doctor could prescribe. This would be health care reform at its finest and all for just fifteen to thirty minutes of your time every day.

My belief is that meditation is an antidote for the daily technology-driven intrusions in our lives. We are bombarded with so much information from many different directions all at the same time. Meditation is the way to clear our minds, making room for more creative inspiration to flow into our lives. For me, meditation also clears the channels for the universal spirit to send me guidance and direction for living a purposeful life.

If you’re a novice, explore different times for and types of meditation until you find a practice that works for you. Wayne Dyer wrote an exceptional little meditation book called  “Getting in the Gap,” that I recommend to people, and it comes with a CD.