It seems that many of us can talk about meditation, but do we actually practice it? We tend to put it off and miss profound opportunities to support our bodies, minds and spirits.
by Dawn Fleming —
Meditation provides a multitude of benefits, perhaps even more than a daily multivitamin. It seems that many of us can talk about meditation, but do we actually practice it? We tend to put it off and miss profound opportunities to support our bodies, minds and spirits. For those of us who do not feel healthy and ecstatic about life or truly energized, it’s a good time to think about starting and continuing a meditation practice. Plus, it doesn’t cost a cent — only your time.
In his book, How to Meditate: A Guide to Self-Discovery, author Lawrence LeShan states: “Meditation is not something that was invented in — and happened in — history. It is an ageless human experience that has been discovered and explored, and used in every period and every culture that we know about.”
Few throughout history have taken the time to regularly pursue meditation, but those who have worked seriously at it have experienced tremendous gains. It has brought them increased strength and serenity, and an increased ability to function, as well as peace and joy. So why not make the time to meditate on a regular basis, when the benefits far outweigh the time invested?
Meditation is also the best preventative medicine around. It has been prescribed by medical doctors, gurus and counselors as an effective way to prevent stress, heart disease and more.
During the recent swine flu scare, my husband’s company, a major health services provider, sent an e-mail stating that the swine flu was most likely to afflict those who were experiencing too much stress, and the best prevention they recommended was meditation. Many studies have shown that practicing meditation on a regular basis helps lower blood pressure. It has also been prescribed for conditions such as anxiety, heart disease, diabetes, low back pain, chronic pain, headaches, etc.
Today, universities and continuing education programs provide training in behavioral medicine, including meditation. Some clinics at major medical centers and local hospitals offer meditation as a form of behavioral medicine. The American Cancer Society’s Web site describes the benefits of meditation as follows: “In a controlled study of 90 cancer patients who did mindfulness meditation for seven weeks, 31 percent had fewer symptoms of stress, and 65 percent had fewer episodes of mood disturbance than those who did not meditate.” Some studies have also suggested that more meditation improves the chance of a positive outcome.
On the mental and emotional levels, National Institutes of Health researchers who studied meditators with long-term practices found that brain regions associated with attention, interoception and sensory processing were thicker in meditation participants than matched controls, including the prefrontal cortex and right anterior insula. Between-group differences in prefrontal cortical thickness were most pronounced in older participants, suggesting that meditation might offset age-related cortical thinning. The thickness of two regions correlated with meditation experience. (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16272874)
Meditation also creates a deep sense of calmness that remains with you throughout the day. Instead of overreacting to the chaos going on, you become a calm center in the midst of a hurricane. This sense of peace allows you to access the solutions or guidance you need. People around you will notice that you have changed, and they will want to know your secrets.
When you are having a hard time dealing with a situation, take some time out to meditate, once the harsh emotions subside. You may actually gain some clarity about the situation.
Meditation clears away energetic pollution that creates confusion. It makes it easier to process information, because it helps you to focus and concentrate, especially for long periods of time. Meditation also enhances creativity, because it opens up the right side of the brain that supports your creative side. Your intuitive nature is also awakened when you meditate.
In Napoleon Hill’s famous book Think and Grow Rich, published in 1937, he writes about what made Andrew Carnegie successful, after having observed his habits for over 20 years. Hill disclosed that a big part of Carnegie’s success was due to his daily meditation practice.
On the spiritual side, meditation is the number-one tool for opening to your higher nature, experiencing oneness with all life and knowing God on a much deeper level. Over time, a consistent meditation practice will take you to new heights within, where you will experience yourself as love and as peace.
Imagine merging with the Infinite, integrating pure light vibrations from these realms, and restructuring your cells and DNA. Imagine raising your vibration to support instant manifestation of what you want to create.
This is only a short list of what can be experienced when a daily meditation practice is established. Meditation assists spiritual students and teachers in waking up to their true natures and to extend this energy, light and knowledge into all areas of their lives and onto our planet. Then they no longer are bound by the determinates or limitations that they were born into as part of the socialization process.
As you enter more deeply into truth, God becomes the determining factor of your life. And that is about as good as it can be. As we approach the year 2012 and deal with the circumstances that each day presents, open up to your highest nature. Make it your mission to create a sense of peace, balance and well-being. Put yourself first, as no one else will.
Use meditation, and let it free you to live your best life every minute of every day so that you can experience happiness, health and an inner freedom that supports you in realizing your dreams. Happy meditating.
Dawn Fleming is the author of Creating a Successful Holistic Health Practice and Perspectives on Ascension. Free inspirational newsletter and e-book at www.energytransformations.org.
Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 28, Number 4, Aug/Sept 2009.
February 28, 2012
Happiness, Health, Meditation, Spiritual, Stress