Zen Buddhists are known for their meditation practice, which they believe helps them gain insight and calms the mind. It is so essential that it is incorporated into their quest towards achieving nirvana because Buddha attained enlightenment through meditation. Nowadays, regardless of their religion, people worldwide are adopting meditation as they become more aware of the numerous benefits associated with the practice. Let’s talk about the importance of meditation for your physical and mental health.
- Relaxed State of Mind
If you can be alone in your thoughts and streamline them, you can reduce stress and anxiety. Mindfulness meditation, one of the six types of meditation, enables your body to lower cortisol (the stress hormone) levels. Furthermore, mantra meditation in which you repeat a word or phrase facilitates the brain in shifting from distracting thoughts to a calming effect. As a result, your overall mental well-being is much improved.
- Better Quality of Sleep
If you have insomnia, meditation could help you get rid of sleeping pills. Once your head hits the pillow, it tends to start replaying the day’s events or even recalling something in your past, which can cause a sleepless night. Mindful meditation helps you focus on your breathing and let go of that train of thought that keeps you awake. The practice has been proven to be so effective that if you plan on meditation during the day, it is recommended that you sit in the yoga position lest you doze off.
- Conquering Addiction
You have been trying to break that bad habit for so long without success, yet it can be easily fought using the meditation technique. When you are high from whatever substance you are addicted to, the prefrontal cortex is stimulated, and once the substance is out of the system, the prefrontal cortex is underactive. Meditation assists your brain to be at a natural high without the need for drugs or addictive substances. The practice does so by supercharging the brain with endorphins, a chemical that works like opioids in causing euphoria.
- Improved Memory and Concentration
One study revealed that meditation helped the brain develop more gray matter in areas of the brain responsible for memory, learning, and emotional regulation. Mantra meditation, for instance, insists that when you recite a mantra, you facilitate the mind to focus better. The same goes for when you are deeply exhaling and inhaling; as you pay attention to how you feel, you are teaching the mind to concentrate.
Parting Shot
By learning the importance of meditation for both your physical and mental well-being, you can make the informed decision to start practicing it. After all, who does not want quality sleep?
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