What is Mindfulness Meditation
Benefits of Meditation
There has been a lot of research and information being shared regarding meditation and the benefits to include easing anxiety and depression. Scientists and academics are actively conducting research on the many benefits of regularly practicing meditation. In addition to helping with anxiety and depression, the benefits also include stress reduction, better sleep, and improved emotional well-being, and others.
First, regular meditation was studied and found a direct impact on the reduction of anxiety and depression. Think of it as a muscle builder that trains the brain to stop using negative thoughts and accusations towards your own body. As you begin meditation and build to a regular practice, it calms the nerves allowing for more positive self-talk.
Second, it promotes better breathing. Something we might not thing about the importance of proper breathing, but this automatic bodily action carries oxygen into our bodies. The act of inhaling and exhaling affecgts the nervous system di-rectly (YB, 2023).
Third, regular meditation promotes a sense of self-awareness. This is important to be able to deal with depression and anxiety. Being self-aware promotes the ability to accurately recognize the thoughts, emotions, and values and how they affect behavior develop a sense of confidence and optimism (Self Awareness, n.d., 2023). Being self-aware allows you to recognize your strengths and emotions and practice retraining negativity into positivity.
Next, it can increase your imagination and creativity which moves the focus from depression and anxiety into actions that leads to a tangible project created by the experience. All we need to gain access to this place where creative thinking thrives is to foster the stillness that leads to calm and clarity whether we are artist or not (Headspace, n.d. 2023).
Lastly, regular meditation allows us to focus on the present which can relieve the stress of worry and anxiety over what has happened or what is going to happen. Neither of which we have any control over. We can only control this moment. Anxiety and depression causes us loss of quality sleep, changes in appetite and weight, anger, hopelessness and irritability. Almost like a spiral of becoming out of control, anxiety and depression can derail a person before they are even aware of how deep they may be (Larsen, 2020). When the mind spends more time in the past and future than this does in the present moment, it creates worry, self-blame, and guilt which results in depression.
There are even more benefits from regular meditation but the reduction of anxiety and depression are well documented. Scientists and practitioners continue to re-search and review the phenomenon of how meditation can improve life quality and happiness.
References
Headspace (2023). Meditation for creativity. Retrieved from https://www.headspace.com/meditation/creativity#:~:text=Unlocking%20the%20creativity%2Dboosting%20benefits,were%20brand%2Dnew%20to%20meditation.
Larsen, J (2020). Discovering the present moment. Retrieved from https://artoflivingretreatcenter.org/blog/happiness-program-discovering-present-mo-ment/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign={campaignname}&adgroup={adgroupname}&utm_term=&MatchType=&gclid=Cj0KCQjwmtGjBhDhARIsAEqf-DEfZuv5gExGD8T7FKQJ4DE1X7sBCcXE5B96mdVaaLfktTb8FLTihKecaAqCVEALw_wcB
My Learning Tools (2023). Self Awareness. Retrieved from https://mylearningtools.org/self-aware-ness/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwmtGjBhDhARIsAEqfDEcGZNiaCcPMzEcBVeLw1uOl3WlPwCyu3GlH8e6pvB98ZENdGeq3Vn4aAq1AEALw_wcB
YB (2023). Become a certified yogabody breathing coach. Retrieved from https://www.yogabody.com/breath-coach/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=Cpc&utm_campaign=AW-Breath-Coach-SN&gclid=Cj0KCQjwmtGjBhDhARIsAEqfDEdZd_v3IBc19Yh4E6rmZbwrP7lj6R-sWcviKF_O_KGnWr9SkvWvZtMaAm1gEALw_wcB