Mediation is one of the oldest spiritual and mindfulness practices out there, yet many people haven’t fully grasped what it is in actuality. Often the importance of meditation and mindfulness is not registered by people because they associate it with a gimmick of sorts.
But meditation is a life-altering practice that is more or less integrated into many different spiritual paths.
“When meditation is mastered, the mind is unwavering like the flame of a candle in a windless place” —Bhagavad Gita
Both Hinduism and Buddhism highlight the importance of meditation in their scriptures and practices. Even though it has its roots within the religion, it is not a religious practice.
Meditation is the path through which inner peace can be achieved and it is accessible to people from all beliefs and backgrounds. Recently, mindfulness meditation has gained a lot of popularity which is understandable if you look at the world of today.
With all the chaos and negativity in the world, it is necessary to not be sucked into it but find a healthy way to cope with it. And what could be healthier than learning how to still your mind and create a better reality for yourself?
“When your world moves too fast and you lose yourself in the chaos, introduce yourself to each color of the sunset. Reacquaint yourself with the earth beneath your feet. Thank the air that surrounds you with every breath you take. Find yourself in the appreciation of life.” – Christy Ann Martine
Importance of Meditation: Why you should do it
Decreases anxiety, depression, and stress
When you meditate, you focus less on dwelling on your thoughts and more on being present. Research has shown that the part of the brain that regulates anxiety and stress begins to shrink when you meditate consistently.
While meditating you focus on your breathing and allow whatever thoughts you have to pass you by. The point of meditating isn’t to do it for the sake of it and then forget about it later.
The more you practice meditation, the calmer and more peaceful you feel throughout the day. Because then you are present to the moment-to-moment experiences instead of being anxious about the past or future.
You will also able better equipped to deal with stressful situations in a better way and have a positive outlook on your life.
“If the mind falls asleep, awaken it. Then if it starts wandering, make it quiet. If you reach the state where there is neither sleep nor movement of mind, stay still in that, the natural (real) state.”– Ramana Maharshi
Meditation makes you peaceful and happy
In general, people who practice meditation feel happier and lead blissful life than those who don’t meditate. Usually, our minds are full of thoughts that promote negativity and stress.
And it becomes quite difficult to feel happy if you are surrounded by events that increase your stress levels and anxiety. Meditating daily will allow you to have more control over the thoughts that you dwell on. Hence, you will choose to dwell on things that make you happy and bring an overall positive change in your life.
Improves the sleep cycle
If you suffer from insomnia or have trouble sleeping, then meditation is going to benefit you greatly.
Often the reason we have trouble falling or staying asleep is that even though our bodies are tired, our minds are fully awake. When you have too many thoughts cluttering your mind, it becomes harder to sleep.
As you meditate, you will notice that fewer thoughts are running around aimlessly in your mind and you are less affected by the thoughts that once used to plague you.
Meditating not only calms the mind but also relaxes the body into a peaceful state. And from this state, it is much easier to have a healthy sleep cycle.
“Don’t hate the arising of thoughts or stop the thoughts that do arise. Simply realize that our original mind, right from the start, is beyond thought, so that no matter what, you never get involved with thoughts. Illuminate original mind, and no other understanding is necessary.”– Zen Master Bankei Yotaku
Meditation increases attention span and sharpens memory
Meditating regularly can do wonders to your memory and focus. It not only makes you more aware of yourself but helps retain your memory and stay focused.
Through mindfulness meditation, you become non-judgmental as you focus on the present moment. You don’t let intrusive thoughts guide your behavior anymore and can take decisions in a much more sensible and healthy manner.
You are also less likely to be distracted by trivial situations and stay centered at all times.
“Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless—like water. Now you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup, you put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle, you put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.”– Bruce Lee
You don’t have to be religious to meditate
Meditation is for everyone. You don’t have to believe in any religion or doctrine to practice it. Meditating is about creating self-awareness, calming the mind and body, and appreciating the present moment.
The importance of meditation lies in learning to see beyond what is there in front of you and unlock your higher potential. The more you practice meditating, the more ways you find to focus on a positive outcome in every area of your life.
“Meditation is a process of lightening up, of trusting the basic goodness of what we have and who we are, and of realizing that any wisdom that exists, exists in what we already have. We can lead our life to become more awake to who we are and what we’re doing rather than trying to improve or change or get rid of who we are or what we’re doing. The key is to wake up, to become more alert, more inquisitive and curious about ourselves.” – Pema Chodron
Bottom Line
Meditating consistently can be a mind, body, and soul-altering experience for anyone. It will allow you to become aware of things that you weren’t aware of. You will gain stability, peace, and harmony within yourself the more you do it.
