Meditation Infocenter

Meditation is one of the proven alternative therapies. It can be broadly classified under the mind-body medicine.
More and more doctors are prescribing meditation as a way to:

· lower blood pressure,

· improve exercise performance in people with angina,

· help people with asthma breathe easier, relieve insomnia and generally relax the everyday stresses of life.

Meditation is a safe and simple way to balance a person's physical, emotional, and mental states. It is simple; but can benefit everybody.
The use of Meditation for healing is not new. Meditative techniques are the product of diverse cultures and peoples around the world. It has been rooted in the traditions of the world's great religions. In fact, practically all religious groups practice meditation in one form or another. The value of Meditation to alleviate suffering and promote healing has been known and practiced for thousands of years.
It has been scientifically shown that meditation works.

Types of Meditation - Classification

All the meditation techniques can be grouped into two basic approaches:

Concentrative meditation and

Mindfulness meditation.

Concentrative meditation:

Concentrative meditation focuses the attention on the breath, an image, or a sound (mantra), in order to still the mind and allow a greater awareness and clarity to emerge. This is like a zoom lens in a camera; we narrow our focus to a selected field.
The simplest form of concentrative meditation is to sit quietly and focus the attention on the breath. Yoga and meditation practitioners believe that there is a direct correlation between one's breath and one's state of the mind. For example, when a person is anxious, frightened, agitated, or distracted, the breath will tend to be shallow, rapid, and uneven. On the other hand, when the mind is calm, focused, and composed, the breath will tend to be slow, deep, and regular. Focusing the mind on the continuous rhythm of inhalation and exhalation provides a natural object of meditation. As you focus your awareness on the breath, your mind becomes absorbed in the rhythm of inhalation and exhalation. As a result, your breathing will become slower and deeper, and the mind becomes more tranquil and aware.

Mindfulness meditation

Mindfulness meditation , according to Dr. Borysenko, "involves opening the attention to become aware of the continuously passing parade of sensations and feelings, images, thoughts, sounds, smells, and so forth without becoming involved in thinking about them." The person sits quietly and simply witnesses whatever goes through the mind, not reacting or becoming involved with thoughts, memories, worries, or images. This helps to gain a more calm, clear, and non-reactive state of mind. Mindfulness meditation can be likened to a wide-angle lens. Instead of narrowing your sight to a selected field as in concentrative meditation, here you will be aware of the entire field.

Benefits of Meditation

Physical Benefits

Deep rest-as measured by decreased metabolic rate, lower heart rate, and reduced work load of the heart.

Lowered levels of cortisol and lactate-two chemicals associated with stress.

Reduction of free radicals- unstable oxygen molecules that can cause tissue damage. They are now thought to be a major factor in aging and in many diseases.

Decreased high blood pressure.

Higher skin resistance. Low skin resistance is correlated with higher stress and anxiety levels.

Drop in cholesterol levels. High cholesterol is associated with cardiovascular disease.

Improved flow of air to the lungs resulting in easier breathing. This has been very helpful to asthma patients.

Younger biological age. On standard measures of aging, long-term Transcendental Meditation (TM) practitioners (more than five years) measured 12 years younger than their chronological age.

Higher levels of DHEAS in the elderly. An additional sign of youthfulness through Transcendental Meditation (TM); lower levels of DHEAS are associated with aging
Psychological Benefits

Increased brain wave coherence. Harmony of brain wave activity in different parts of the brain is associated with greater creativity, improved moral reasoning, and higher IQ.

Decreased anxiety.

Decreased depression.

Decreased irritability and moodiness.

Improved learning ability and memory.

Increased self-actualization.

Increased feelings of vitality and rejuvenation.

Increased happiness.

Increased emotional stability.