More and more people are now getting into the art of meditation. Not just because it is considered as one of the fads nowadays, but also because of the benefits it promises. But are your efforts in crossing your legs and keeping your eyes closed for almost an hour worth it? Is it beneficial for the body?
WHAT IS MEDITATION?
The art of meditation started about 2,000 years ago, as reported by TIME. Though there are already different ways on how to meditate at present, there is still one common denominator among them. Miles Neale, a clinical instructor of psychology at Weill Cornell Medical College and author of Gradual Awakening, a book about Tibetan Buddhist meditation, explains that all meditation practices lead to one thing, and that is to "train or cultivate attention and awareness" among people.
BENEFITS OF MEDITATION
The recent study published in a journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience revealed how 10 minutes of meditation could already help boost a person's ability to concentrate and do well on their tasks. "Attention acts as a filter-like the gatekeeper of your mind-and so where you direct your attention is the best predictor of your experiences," explains Michael Mrazek, director of research at the University of California, Santa Barbara, Center for Mindfulness and Human Potential.
Another benefit of meditation is it enhances brain abilities. By being at peace and one with nature, the mind can rest away from stress. With the moment of solitude, the brain is renewed resulting in an improvement in thinking and memory, and maximized potential.
Meditating is also perfect for people suffering from an unstable emotional state. With how it can rest the mind, the emotion can be at peace as well calming all the anxiety and all the factors that could lead to depression and other emotional illnesses.
It is not just the emotional state that meditation can renew but also a person's physique. As a matter of fact, according to SELF, meditating once in a while can also help people who are suffering from chronic pain and some digestive issues as its calming effects can also soothe the body's tensions.
WHY IS MEDITATION BENEFICIAL?
Most people might ask, what is with meditation that the body can benefit a lot from it? Experts say it can all be blamed to how meditation can activate the body's relaxation response. With it turned on, the body will be able to fight the negative effects that stress has caused us.
