Meditation helps mental health because it relaxes the mind and body, releases stress, improves focus, and increases awareness of thoughts and emotions. This gives a sense of personal peace and power which can create life changes that are beneficial, such as replacing negative thinking patterns.
When one meditates and is mindful of their internal struggles, stressors, and physical discomfort, it empowers them to address them, or to at least to not add mental anguish on top of it. This can help them feel competent and in control and to be able to release it. In addition, this clearing of the mind makes room for inspiration to arise and improves outlooks on life.
Let’s explore the ways meditation helps improves overall health and leads to a more inspired life.
Understanding How Meditation Helps You
The basic tenet of meditation is to observe your breathing and bodily sensations, thoughts, and feelings (or a specific mental or physical object) so as to bring your awareness into the present moment. Too often we have a mental habit of reliving problems of the past or imagining problems of the future. Reducing such ruminations by staying present ultimately leads to increased health, productivity and a greater sense of well-being in three major areas: our mental, physical, and emotional reality.
Worry is a waste of imagination
walt disney
Mental Benefits of Meditation
Meditation has been shown to improve attention and concentration by increasing activity in the brain- namely, the anterior cingulate cortex. This part of the brain regulates attention and control. This can have a significant impact on mental health because many mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression, are characterized by difficulty focusing and sustaining attention. By developing attention and concentration, symptoms of these conditions become manageable.
The innate meditation side effect of becoming more self-aware also helps people think more clearly. By noticing thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations, we’re led to greater self-understanding and acceptance, which brings peace of mind. Meditating can generate a sense of personal power over thinking and thus show people that they can be the creators of their lives through directed and applied thought. This is a positive mental state.
Pin it!
Emotional Benefits of Meditation
Sam Harris, creator of The Waking Up App, a meditation and philosophical platform, says that “being concentrated-on anything- is intrinsically pleasurable.” It limits our tendency to spin off into a wild mental landscape lost in thought over hopes, fears, disappointments, and failures. Instead, it plants us firmly in the simplicity of the here and now.
This being present improves emotional regulation because often our emotions are a response to, as said above, distracted thinking about the past or future. When we can look at life afresh in the present moment, we are happier and more full of hope. Life can start to feel new and full of possibilities.
Meditation also helps people cultivate positive emotions. Gratitude, compassion, and joy naturally arise when the clouded mind clears. By increasing positive thoughts and emotions, we can improve our overall sense of well-being and happiness.
Resilience too relates to meditation. We inadvertently train the mind to stay calm and focused in the face of stress or adversity when meditating. By sitting with your thoughts and feelings, self-awareness grows. With this, you can become less reactive to triggering situations, thus being able to make conscious decisions on how to respond. This can help individuals better cope with challenges and setbacks in their lives, which leads to emotional wellness and strength.
Physical Benefits of Meditation
A study by the Clinical Psychology Review found that meditation reduces stress. When we’re stressed, the hormone cortisol is released, which regulates our flight or fight response. This is incredibly useful and necessary for survival on many levels. But the habitual release of it can cause damage to the cardiovascular system, our immune response, and digestive systems. Unfortunately, just worrying and ruminating can trigger cortisol release.
Meditation, because it lessens cortisol release, therefore lowers blood pressure, inflammation, and improves immunity. In addition, meditating improves sleep, which is a restorative function of the body. It helps to release the mental ruminations that often keep us awake.
Meditations Clears the Way for Inspiration
Inspiration is a feeling that everyone wants. It’s uplifting, gives a perception of meaning and purpose in things, and stimulates our creativity. Practicing meditation can clear the way for inspiration in several ways:
- Reducing mental clutter: When we meditate, we learn to observe our thoughts without getting caught up in them. This helps us to identify and let go of thoughts that may be cluttering our minds and preventing us from seeing things clearly. By reducing mental clutter, we create space for new ideas and insights to emerge.
- Increased focus: Meditation helps to improve our ability to concentrate and focus. When our minds are less distracted, we are better able to focus on the present moment, which can help us to see things more clearly and gain new insights.
- Heightened awareness: Through meditation, we become more aware of our thoughts, feelings, and surroundings. This heightened awareness can help us to notice details and patterns that we might otherwise overlook. It can also help us to connect with our intuition and inner wisdom, which can inspire new ideas.
- Improved creativity: Meditation can help to improve our creativity by reducing stress and anxiety, which can be major barriers to creative thinking. When we are more relaxed and open, we are better able to tap into our creativity and generate new ideas.
By practicing meditation regularly, we can create a more open and receptive mindset that is conducive to inspiration and new ideas.
Best Meditations for Mental Health
There are many different types of meditation that can be beneficial for mental health. Some of the most effective meditations for mental health include:
- Mindfulness meditation: This type of meditation involves focusing on the present moment, without judgment or distraction. It has been shown to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, improve emotional regulation, and increase feelings of well-being.
- Loving-kindness meditation: This involves cultivating feelings of love and kindness towards oneself and others. It has been shown to increase feelings of compassion and reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression.
- Body scan meditation: Here, you’re focusing on the sensations in the body, from the toes to the head. It can help individuals become more aware of their bodily sensations, reduce stress and anxiety, and promote relaxation.
- Breathing meditation: Perhaps the simplest, this meditation involves focusing on the breath, either by counting breaths or observing the sensations of the breath. It can help individuals reduce stress and anxiety, improve attention and concentration, and promote relaxation.
- Walking meditation: This type of meditation involves walking slowly and mindfully, paying attention to the sensations in the body and the environment. It can help individuals reduce stress and anxiety, improve mood, and promote relaxation.
Ultimately, the best type of meditation for mental health depends on a person’s specific needs and attraction to it. It can be helpful to try out different types and see which ones resonate most with you. But overall, meditation is a wonderful practice to improve the mental health and well-being of anyone who does it.