Meditation And Its Benefits

The health benefits of effective meditation are gradually gaining popularity in the world of alternative medicine. Meditation is believed to result in attitudinal, behavioral and health transformation in most of the people. The practice of different meditation techniques in the modern western world is being adopted by most alternative medical professional to help their patients reach deep into their consciousness and into the root of their physiological as well as psychological concerns.

Meditation traces its roots from ancient religious practices of Hindu and Buddhism. In fact meditation has a history of over thousands of years, stretching back to the first Indian civilizations. Vedic Hinduism, one of the oldest religions, is known to admit meditation as part of its religious and spiritual practices. This form of mental discipline and control involves the attainment of a deep state of relaxation and a higher state of consciousness through the channeling of mental energies to a single focal point. Originally meditation is done in religious and ritualistic affairs; but now meditation has evolved into other uses including alternative healing.

There are various ways by which meditation can be done. One of the meditation techniques focuses on specific fields or background perception and experience referred to as mindfulness. Another meditation technique, called concentrative, focuses on a specific entity. Both meditation techniques can be combined or used interchangeably with the expectation of the same results of a relaxed consciousness. These different techniques are separated by the object of focus used in inducing the desired state of mind.

Mindfulness meditation can be characterized by open focus. The present status and experiences of mindfulness are kept in the consciousness. It is this focus on present perceptions that serves to attach the person to the whole process of meditation. The awareness of what is and what is not are processed in the mind as it is, without analysis or interpretation or explanation. Whereas Concentrative meditation commonly used in religious and spiritual practices, focuses the person on a particular object. All other distractions and thoughts are banished from the mind of the person. Concentrative meditation clears the mind of all other things but the object of focus.

Another type of meditation is the combined meditation which brings together mindfulness and concentrative meditation. In this meditation technique movement is allowed, making the person aware of the energies flowing through his body and making body movements smooth and fluid. In all these type of meditation techniques, introspection is very common. All the processes are done in a period of quietness, inviting relaxation and a feeling of inner peace. These meditation techniques are practiced in modern ways of professional psychotherapy and counseling. As they result in muscular and mental relaxation, these meditation techniques are considered to be effective tools in relaxation training, one of the procedures done by psychologists and psychiatrists to help an individual uncover the inner self and consequently address present behavioral, attitudinal and mental concerns. These various meditation techniques are also used in alternative medicine to help treat diseases particularly cardiovascular or heart diseases. As proper meditation process ultimately results in a relaxed state of mind and a general feeling of well-being, these meditation techniques are credited for reducing incidences of cardiovascular diseases through effective stress relief in most patients.

• John Palsson
• 03/12/2008, 8:59 PM
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