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The Wonderful Benefits of Meditation
By Tony Murdock, M.A.
Meditation
is the art of calming the mind and focusing it on an object.
In its simplest application, it can be used for
relaxation and stress reduction, and bring us to an awareness
of the important inter-connection between our minds and our
bodies. Meditation can help us manage our physical and emotional
pain. It gives us a tool to use for coping with the apparent
disharmony in our lives.
At
a deeper level, meditation can help us to release our emotional
blockages and pain. It can help us to face our pain and give
us a tool to work through our pain, and bring healing to
the heart and body. This healing allows us to open the heart
and
integrate our spiritual nature with our mind, our emotions
and our body.
Meditation
can not only be used as a wonderful “wellness” tool
to reduce stress and bring about calmness, it can also
motivate individuals to live their lives with a more positive
attitude,
and thereby bring about greater happiness for themselves
and their loved ones. As you are aware, a happy life leads
to a
healthy life.
The
right technique, the right instruction and a dedication to
practicing the techniques are the keys to success.
Meditation
can reduce psychological stress, psychophysical stress and
physical stress. Of course proper diet, getting
enough exercise…and rest, and having the right attitude
towards ourselves and the people who are in our lives, are
also essential. However, meditation can help specifically to
relax our minds and our bodies, reforming a conscious connection
between them. When we ‘tune into our bodies’ with
our mind…and listen to what our bodies are telling
us, we have taken an important step toward optimal
health.
Often
we wait patiently for our weekends, our vacation periods,
and our secret mental health days. We leave
work and enjoy
our recreation activities. Recreation. Re-creation.
We go out and re-create who we want to be. Then we
go back
to work
and
start the cycle again.
What if our whole life was a never-ending re-creation?
When we are calm and relaxed, when we have the right
mental attitude,
when we are focused and have a good flow
of concentration, we perform our work well and effortlessly.
However,
if we have an ‘off’ day, or an ‘off’ week, or
even an ‘off’ month, when our concentration is not there
and our minds are fuzzy, when our physical energy got up and left,
(or was never there
to begin with), when we view our attitudes at work as various levels
of lethargy, we are on a collision course with poor health, or even
a break-down.
We
need to take care of ourselves first and foremost. Through
meditation we can reduce the tension in our lives. Meditation
can help us to
become calm.
It can
bring more focus on the present moment (rather than being caught
up in past events and worrying about the future). It can help us
to stop
worrying
about
issues
beyond our control. It can help to let the unimportant things go,
the things that can cause stress.
Meditation
provided me with the skills to work successfully in the corporate
world. Through the practice of relaxation techniques,
and
the development
of concentration and meditation skills, I believe that any sincere
practitioner can develop more calmness and peace of mind in their
work and in their
lives. They will be able to focus on their projects with more
skillful attention
and
awareness. They will not simply survive the day, but ‘flow’ through
the day with an overall sense of well being. This would enhance
the mental health of anyone. In my experience, individuals who
have started meditating as part
of their lifestyle have found that their lives have improved
in remarkable ways.
When
our mind and emotions are balanced and harmonized, then
we have access to our true inner spiritual nature. We begin
to have
a healthy
appreciation
for
our life and the lives of our loved ones. Our world is seen
through new eyes, and we can start to perceive the interconnection
and
interdependence of all
creation.
Peace of
mind, clarity of thought, reduction of stress, and a more
positive outlook on life are just some of the early
benefits of meditation. Just as regular exercise and regular
preventative health care are important to continued health,
meditation, practiced faithfully and regularly, will bring
about definite improvements to an individual’s general
physical, mental and spiritual well being.
See
related 'Simple Meditation'
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