The Power of Meditation — NEWAVE FITNESS

POWER OF MEDITATION

Meditation has been in practice for several centuries. In recent years, Hollywood has helped propagate the trend of monks sweating buckets of water in a freezing environment while wearing nothing but a small wrap. In the last few decades, meditation has seen an even greater hype, particularly with introduction of terms like yoga into the mainstream. Many people have made several claims about meditation, some from personal experience, and others from hearsay. Some even going so far as to say meditation can make you a superhero. No need for genetically engineered spiders then.

In Lizette Borreli’s ‘Benefits Of Meditation: The Power Of The Silent Mind Over The Body’, she asserts that one of the main concerns of meditation is this; mind over matter. It is based on the notion that everything about your physical body can be controlled and monitored by your brain. But this can only be done if you clear all the sludge from your brain. (Borreli, 2015)

*Worry Less*

In recent times, scientists have been able to use modern technology to monitor what happens in the brain during meditation, and the results have been outstanding. For instance, according to Belle Beth Cooper in her article ‘What is Meditation and how it affects our health’, the part of the brain responsible for self-consciousness, reasoning, planning and emotions, i.e. the frontal lobe, goes offline during mediation. This implies that we think less of our so-called great worries during meditation. We are also more likely to lose consciousness of our place in time and space and all other sensory information. This means that our parietal lobe is also not in full gear during meditation. Essentially, meditation slows all excess thinking and worrying to a tickle and reduces our responses to stimuli in the environment. Because this refocuses our attention during meditation, it helps our focus and attention/concentration even outside meditation. (Cooper, 2015)

*Decrease Fear and Anxiety*

Because we are technically ‘cut off’ from the environment and things that would make us naturally react, meditation helps to decrease fear and anxiety. The base of all fears and anxiety is an overpowering feeling of one’s helplessness. Medication stops the flow of information to the neurons that tell us to worry. And instead it picks up the rational part and focuses on rationalising issues rather than worrying over them. This is why meditators claim to have a sense of peace, whether they are having a session or not. This is because the more they meditate, the more they lose touch with worry.

*Boost Memory and Creativity*

Meditation also helps with memory and creativity. Once the brain is ‘trained’ to focus more, it is easier to lose experiences and thought processes that are not beneficial to any task you wish to undertake. Consequently, this will lead to a better retaining of past experiences.

*Benefits the Body and Soul*

Meditation does not benefit the mind alone, it also positively affects the body and the soul. Many have experienced more compassion and empathy because of meditation. This is because meditation clears the mind of negativity and stress and generally provides a feeling of wellness and rightness with the world. In this way, those who meditate more find a real connection to people more than those who do not.

*Effects on relationships*

Meditation also helps us in our relationships. Because meditation comes from a place of peace and quiet, those who meditate have less and less to do with anger, unforgiveness and a feeling of entitlement. Those who meditate tend to have an increase of alpha waves. All negativity is expunged and you’re not only ready to forgive, you find yourself not picking offense in the first place, you’re able to let go the little things and even more and more of the big things. (Glowacki, 2015)

*Effects on overall Health*

Physically, meditators have been known to tackle illnesses better and even treat them without proper medication. This is also because meditation helps to focus less on any kind of pain in the physical body, focusing on wellness and health boosts the immune system to tackle diseases faster and even escape them altogether. Meditation also helps in the creation of antibodies which is what leads to stronger immune system.

Because meditation focuses on mindfulness, you enjoy life even more, little details become beautiful, the feel of the first snow drop on your face, a meal, a book, an old movie. Those who meditate tend to enjoy life more. I highly recommend meditation to anyone who is not familiar with the practices. It has personally transformed not only my mind but also my entire life.

Reference

Cooper B.B. (2016). What is Meditation and How It Affects Our Brains? Retrieved from https://blog.bufferapp.com/how-meditation-affects-your-brain

Borreli L. (2015). Benefits Of Meditation: The Power Of The Silent Mind Over The Body. Retrieved from http://www.medicaldaily.com/pulse/benefits-meditation-power-silent-mind-over-body-318952

Glowacki L. (n.d). The Power of Meditation: Sit Your Way to a Happier Life. Retrieved from https://tinybuddha.com/blog/the-power-of-meditation-sit-your-way-to-a-happier-life/

Walton G. A. (2015).7 Ways Meditation Can Actually Change The Brain. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2015/02/09/7-ways-meditation-can-actually-change-the-brain/#113d72341465

Thank you for reading and I truly hope you were able to take some good things from this article. If you haven't already, start incorporating meditation in your day to day life. It just may change everything for you like it did for me.

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