Meditation and Relaxation Go Together
Meditation and relaxation have been found to go hand in hand. Meditation is a proven stress reducer and has been found to increase one's sense of well-being as well as one's physical health. There are 2 Basic Categories of Meditation TechniquesOne category of meditation is concentrative meditation. This is where you sit very still and restrict your awareness of the outside world by focusing attention on an object, sound, or thought. Your body and mind become very relaxed. You are developing the ability to focus keenly. You can experience great health impacts as a result of the release of stress.
The other category of meditation is external awareness meditation or mindfulness. You open your awareness to things around you. You observe what is going on in your mind at that particular moment, without judging or reacting in any way. You allow nothing from the past, nor anything about the future to interfere. You experience living in the "now".There are many variations and degrees of these 2 basic meditation techniques. For thousands of years, religions of Eastern influence have been using meditation as a part of their religious practices. Christianity embraces meditation as one of their basic disciplines. Today we are using meditation and relaxation practices outside of any religious context for stress relief and other health benefits. Click here for a Beginner Meditation Exercise. Benefits of MeditationBoth of the basic kinds of meditation lead to increased relaxation, tranquility and emotional stability. In addition, when you practice meditation, you are training your mind to go where you want it to go, and not just where it wants to go. You're learning to be in control of your thinking. You're improving your concentration. When you meditate you become very cognizant of how you're reacting to stress. And the results of meditation have been found to be lasting.In recent years scientific researchers have been using fMRI's, EEG's and psychophysiological instruments to measure changes in the brain resulting from the different types of meditation. We're learning more and more about the body's responses to these relaxation techniques. We're finding that meditation helps not only mental and emotional conditions like anxiety and depression, but also several medical conditions. Allergies, arthritis, asthma, cancer, pain, high blood pressure, heart disease have all been found to respond positively to meditation. Meditation, as discussed on this website, is meant to be an aid in stress relief not a replacement for any medical treatment or professional treatment. CautionResearch has shown that meditation and relaxation changes brain waves. While considered safe for most people, there is caution if you are ADD, ADHD, experience epilepsy, seizures, schizophrenia or have any other brain disorder. It would be important for you to contact your health provider before attempting any meditation exercises.Different exercises involve variations in brain wave frequencies. There may be meditations that would definitely benefit your particular condition, but that would be for a professional to advise. The Anxiety Cure, Archibald Hart, 1999 10 Simple Solutions to Stress, Claire Michaels Wheeler, MD, PhD, New Harbinger Publications, 2007 Return from Meditation and Relaxation to Home
|
