Here are 15 reasons why you should take up meditation:
Meditation may help lower your respiratory rate.
Instead of short, quick, shallow breaths, meditation can help you take deeper breaths that fully expand your lungs. Your rate of breathing will slow and your oxygen efficiency will improve.
Deep relaxation may increase blood flow and slow your heart rate.
With deeper breathing comes a greater exchange of oxygen into your bloodstream. This makes for less work for your heart muscle. Better oxygenated blood means less blood needing to be pumped through your system = lowered heart rate.
Some people feel meditation helps reduce blood pressure.
For the same reason it lowers your heart rate, meditation may be beneficial in lowering blood pressure.
Many believe that meditation can aid post-operative healing.
Traditional western hospitals are beginning to see the benefits meditation and other holistic practices such as Reiki can offer in terms of post-operative healing and recovery. I suggest these benefits are also due in part to the fact that more oxygen in the blood can lead to faster healing of wounds and incisions.
It’s been suggested that meditation can help to alleviate chronic pain.
Studies suggest the mindfulness meditation can increase pain tolerance while reducing anxiety, stress, depression and the use of pain medications. [source]
Mediation may increase your creativity.
Meditation can benefit your creative side by reducing anxiety around the possibility of criticism. Meditation allows you time to have free flowing thought. During meditation you give yourself quiet space in which to focus on spontaneous insight and ideas which promotes out of the box thinking.
A few minutes of daily mediation could help reduce stress & anxiety.
When you meditate, you clear away the information overload that builds up every day and contributes to your stress. [source] Learning to focus on the present moment rather than the potential pitfalls of the future may also help to reduce anxiety.
Meditation may aid focus & comprehension.
Meditation helps to train your mind to be fully present in the moment. When you can achieve this type of focus, chances are you will be able to take in more of what surrounds you. You may find it’s easier to focus more intently on the matters at hand because you won’t be worrying about what is coming next.
Some feel that meditation can improve emotional stability.
When you’re focused on the present moment, you may feel and move through the emotions of a typical day much more fluidly with less anxiety. Meditation can help to eliminate the tendency towards knee jerk reactions. Instead, you may find it easier to focus upon the pros and cons of every situation or choice before you so that you can act in a manner not dependent upon your feelings.
Meditation may help you to fall asleep faster.
The deep breathing and relaxation habits we learn in meditation can help us to nod off when our minds are in overdrive.
Regular meditation might help to strengthen intuition.
By clearing your mind of worry and stress, you may find it easier to hear your intuition, the voice of your soul. Your intuition can be likened to a “knowing” a gut feeling about things that might otherwise cause you anxiety.
Meditation may lessen a tendency to worry.
I just can’t stress this enough- through even a small amount of daily meditation (ten minutes a day) you can learn to focus your mind in the here and now, reducing your fear of what’s coming around the bend. Focusing too much on what could happen in the uncontrollable future lies at the heart of anxiety.
Meditation could help you become more centered and grounded
Do you miss out on the joys of parenting or your special relationships because your mind is pre-occupied by things you feel you must do instead of being present with your loved ones? I used to. Making certain everything is perfect or “just so” before you can allow yourself to live isn’t fair to you or the people that care for you. Meditation can help you to stop and be in the NOW.
Many people use meditation to bring body, mind and spirit into balance.
Quieting your mind, opening yourself to a connection to your intuition and allowing your body to know relaxation, these are all wonderful benefits of meditation.
Meditation could lead to peace of mind and happiness.
Greater relaxation, focusing on what’s happening right now, and being at peace with what is to come is priceless. Meditation can lead to a sense of peace and contentment.
As beneficial as meditation can be for your overall wellness, it is not a cure all. If you are currently under the care of a physician or taking prescription medication, do not stop following your doctor’s orders in favor of meditation. Find ways to incorporate meditation into your current treatment plan and be sure to tell your doctor of ANY holistic alternatives you are considering.
I’ve recorded an 8 minute Guided Meditation for grounding & centering.
It’s perfect for beginners or anyone who has trouble meditating on their own. Try it here.