If you are feeling stressed, anxious, worried, or tense, meditation can help. In this article, we will be exploring the 5 elements of meditation and share some of the emotional and physical benefits linked to meditation.
Meditation is an inexpensive and simple practice that can be done by anyone, no matter where you find yourself. Just a few minutes per day can do wonders to restore your inner peace and calm.
Understanding Meditation
Meditation has been around for thousand of years and was initially meant to assist with understanding the mystical and sacred forces of life. Nowadays, it is commonly practiced for reducing stress and relaxation. Meditation can create a deep state of relaxation for a peaceful mind and is considered as a supplementary mind-body treatment.
The 5 Elements of Meditation
There are numerous types of meditation that each encompasses different features to assist you with meditating. They might vary depending on who is teaching the class or whose guidance you are following. The 5 most common elements of meditation include:
1. Focused Attention
This entails focusing your attention to help free your mind from the various distractions that cause worry and stress in your life. You can focus your attention through breathing or focusing on an image, a specific object, or a mantra. Focused attention is the primary element of meditation.
2. A Tranquil and Quiet Setting
If you’ve just started, it can be a lot easier to practice meditation in a quiet spot with less distractions like cellphones, television, or radios. As your meditation skills progress, you might be able to practice it anywhere, particularly when you need it most, for instance, when stuck in a traffic jam, standing in a long queue at the grocery store, etc.
3. Relaxed Breathing
Relaxed breathing entails deep, even-paced breathing that is done by using your diaphragm muscle in order to expand your lungs. The idea is to slow your breathing, lessen use of your neck, shoulder, and upper chest muscles, and taking in more oxygen, to breath more effectively.
4. Having an Open Approach
Allow your thoughts to pass through your mind without conviction or judgement.
5. Finding a Comfortable Position
You can practice meditation whether you’re sitting, walking, lying down, or any other position or activity where you feel comfortable. The goal is to be comfortable and to maintain good posture when you’re meditating.
Meditation Benefits
Meditation can benefit your overall health and emotional well-being by giving you a sense of peace, balance, and calm.
Emotional Benefits of Meditation
- Getting a fresh perspective on stressful scenarios
- Building essential skills for managing your stress
- Lessening negative emotions
- Boosting self-awareness
- Focusing only on the present
- Enhancing creativity and imagination
- Having more tolerance and patience
Physical Benefits of Meditation
Some research suggests that people who meditate can manage symptoms of conditions like:
- Tension headaches
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Asthma
- Hypertension
- Sleep issues
- Heart disease
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Cancer
- Chronic pain
Always liaise with your health care provider about the benefits and disadvantages of using meditation if you suffer from any of these health conditions. In certain cases, the symptoms of some physical and mental health conditions can be worsened by meditation. Meditation should never been viewed as a substitute for traditional medical treatment, but rather practiced in addition to these treatments.
Advancing Your Meditation Skills
Don’t be too hard on yourself and judge your meditation skills which will only add to your stress. Meditation is a learning curve and require some practice. It is not unusual for your mind to wander when you’re meditating. If this happens, gradually return to the sensation, movement, or object that you are focusing on.
Try different types of meditation until you find one that works best for you. The key to good meditation is to relax your body and enjoy the experience. There is no wrong or right way for meditation. What matters most is to lower your stress levels and boost your overall wellbeing.
Conclusion
I hope you have found this article about the 5 elements of meditation and certain benefits linked to meditation useful and that it will add value to your life somehow.
Sending you lots of light, love, and inner peace.
Anthea