The Amazing Benefits of Meditation

Have you been hearing the word meditation a lot lately? It really is everywhere right now—and for good reason. Not just for yogis and Buddhists anymore, meditation is for everyone.

I started meditating a few years ago now and it really has been a lifesaver. Especially since being at home with a little one. On the days I don’t meditate (which are rare) I really notice that I am not as focused or patient (something required in abundance for a parent). Needless to say, I ensure that meditation is part of my morning routine, even if just for a few minutes.

Here’s why:

Benefit 1: Meditation can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression.

Meditation has been known to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. Which is perhaps why doctors are recommending it to patients.

There have also been studies showing that meditation can also help to reduce depression in mothers and throughout pregnancy. (I personally found meditation very calming and soothing throughout my anxious pregnancy. I had previously miscarried and so when I found out I was pregnant again I was extremely anxious. Meditation provided the calm and stress relief that I needed and I will always be forever thankful for this.)

The same goes if you use it prior to interviews, exams, or any type of situation that causes additional stresses and anxieties. Even just day to day things can sometimes feel overwhelming.

The reason that meditation is great in these situations is because it gives your mind a sense of peace and enables it to calm itself, in essence it gives your mind a break. Just like you take a break when your working, you mind also needs a break. Meditation can also help our mind to distinguish what is worth the stress and what isn't as it allows you to calm down and think more clearly.

Meditation does the above by helping to reduce the amount of cortisol in the brain, cortisol is known as the stress hormone. Who doesn’t need less stress?

Benefit 2: Meditation improves emotional balance.

We all have times in our lives when we struggle emotionally. Meditation is a fantastic way of helping us to balance these emotions so that we understand them and work through them with ease. It allows us to take a back seat, watch our emotions and allows us time to accept them. Our emotions are always there. In fact, I saw this lovely quote the other day that I would like to share with you.

"Your emotions are the slaves to your thoughts, and you are the slave to your emotions." —Elizabeth Gilbert.

I would much rather be accepting and friends with my emotions than enslaved by them… wouldn’t you?

Benefit 3: Meditation improves your concentration and productivity.

Meditation helps to teach your brain how to focus on one thing at a time. This is because focus is an important part of a meditation practice. This therefore helps our brains to apply this focus in our daily lives which then allows us to be more productive with everyday tasks. It allows us to focus on the task we need to get done without flitting from one task to another before completing those tasks in full. In zen living, we focus on one task at a time until it is completed, we can then move on to the next task. This is a much more productive way of living, plus we get the feeling of satisfaction when we actually finish a task.

Benefit 4: Meditation provides an increased sense of relaxation.

Meditation and mindfulness are fantastic tools to use to aid relaxation. Whether you have a stressful job or require relaxation during pregnancy or other lifestyle changes such as a house move, they can lead to increased relaxation. Sometimes our minds and bodies just need a proper break. But sitting in front of the television whilst simultaneously texting a friend and scrolling through social media is not really giving our mind bodies the break they need. Silence and stillness even if just for a few minutes is far more powerful a habit and far better for your health and wellbeing.

Benefit 5: Meditation helps to reduce blood pressure.

Blood pressure can be reduced through meditation. When we meditate our bodies become less stressed therefore normalising systems within the body. This in turn helps to reduce high blood pressure. Pretty cool huh?!

So, it really is no surprise that people are taking up the daily practice of Meditation with benefits such as that above. These are only a few benefits that you will most likely come across. Plus there are many more depending on the type of meditation you practice and the length of time you practice for.

Always remember that everyone is different. What one person experiences will likely be slightly—or totally different—to another person. I do hope, however, that you will give it a go and see what meditation can do for you.