Meditation – What Exactly Does It Mean?

There is a lot of talk about putting meditation into your daily life, but if you are anything like me, you might wonder what that exactly means, and why?

Life these days is a never ending race to get somewhere, do something, earn more money, and achieve what many may call the impossible dream. I’m no different. Although I am sure things could be much worse. It seems as if my life is a continuous loop of running after something, keeping up with all the responsibilities of not only my own life’s aspiration of being an author and blogger, but the lives of others in my key management role in a small business. All of this is compounded by the fact the empathic side of me goes into overdrive at times, and the usual dealings with those well known emotional vampires becomes overwhelming. “Stress” seems to be my middle name.

So, there is no wonder I’ve searched for ways to relieve, if not eliminate, the effects of stress on my life. There have been many studies done documenting the negative physical and psychological responses occurring as a result of the high stressed lives we live these days. Signs of stress include, but are not limited to the unconscious activities of: clenching of jaws; grinding of teeth, while conscious or in our sleep; holding our breath, and shallow breathing; biting of nails; and/or, suffering from insomnia, stiffness in our bodies, and road rage. Not only does it cause us to do things we might not otherwise do, stress has been proven to be the cause of heart disease, cancer, hypertension, depression, alcoholism, drug addiction, mental illness, and many other illnesses on the rise, some of which have not even been diagnosed yet.

In short, stress makes us sick.

According to many sources, and clearly outlined at http://www.abc-of-yoga.com, the following is a list of health benefits associated with meditation (not fully inclusive of all benefits):

Physiological Benefits

• Deep rest as measured by decreased metabolic rate, lower heart rate, and reduced work load of the heart;
• Lowered levels of cortisol and lactate (two chemicals associated with stress);
• Reduction of free radicals (unstable oxygen molecules that can cause tissue damage);
• Decreased high blood pressure;
• Higher skin resistance (low skin resistance) is correlated with higher stress and anxiety levels);
• Drop in cholesterol levels (high cholesterol is associated with cardiovascular disease);
• Improved flow of air in the lungs resulting in easier breathing (helpful for suffers of respiratory diseases);
• Decreases the aging process; and
• Higher levels of DHEA in the elderly,(an additional sign of youthfulness.)

Psychological Benefits

• Increased brain wave coherence
• Greater creativity
• Decreased anxiety
• Decreased depression
• Decreased irritability and moodiness
• Improved learning ability and memory
• Increased self-actualization
• Increased feelings of vitality and rejuvenation
• Increased happiness
• Increased emotional stability

In A Master Guide to Meditation and Spiritual Growth, (1999), author Roy Eugene Davis confirms the benefits of meditation, saying “stress confusion, despair, anxiety, fear, loneliness, hopelessness, unnatural living habits, and unhealthy environmental conditions can weaken the body’s immune system, its safeguard against disease and deterioration. Regular practice of contemplative meditation unfolds super-conscious states which, being superior to conditioned states of consciousness, organize the body systems and infuse them with enlivening forces.”

He goes on to say, “There are no secrets or mysteries about spiritual growth. It is the natural process of soul—or Self-illumination—when conditions are suitable for it to occur. At our core, behind the finest layers of thoughts and emotions, we are forever established in God. Before the beginning of time we existed as individualized units of pure consciousness, reflections of thoughts. When the universe no longer prevails, we will continue to abide in God.” He goes on to say, “If we are not yet conscious of our essential, spiritual condition and our relationship with the Infinite, our need is to learn how to be awake.”

Meditation has been used for centuries, in one form or another. As humans, we’ve longed for a connection with the divine, and have found that through silence, prayer, looking inward, using mantras, chanting and a variety of other methods, a door opens to connect one to the Source of light.

Over time, however, the importance of the skills to do so for what once was considered a natural and daily occurrence have been brushed aside for the most part and conditioned out of us at a very young age. I’m finding if we search far enough for the necessary information, and deeply enough on the inside to reawaken this innate part of our being, it is an essential piece of your soul. I may not have reached Nirvana like a Zen Master, but I’m sure not going to give up trying because it seems difficult. What I have achieved far outweighs who I was before I began.

So, what exactly is meditation? It is simply the vehicle to bring us back to the place where we originated, to quiet our thoughts and emotions, and open our minds to the stillness of realization. At the center, we are one with God, our Higher Self, the One Mind, Great Spirit, Eternal Consciousness, or whatever name for Divinity we choose. What we need to do is awaken that part of us which has been clouded for so long. The clarity of our connection will determine the benefits we experience. By forming a true connection with Source we come into balance, our natural state of being.

The benefits alone are reason enough for me to make this a purposeful activity in my life. Obviously, if we are honest with ourselves, these benefits are things we all have searched for at one time or another. Though I’m sure I’m not the only one who couldn’t figure out where to find the answers. Added to the health benefits, forming the bond with God in a higher more meaningful way, makes this a simple choice for me.

Who would have known that it was inside me the whole time?

Join me for my next blog where I will discuss some of the methods to achieve this meditative state of oneness.          

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