What are the benefits of meditation. Personal experience: How meditation helps different people in practice

Meditation is much more than just a way to relax. Research proves that meditation reduces anxiety and anxiety, develops compassion, reduces pain sensitivity, promotes creativity and much more ...

So how does meditation help our mind?

1. Is life in full swing on the head? Stay calm amidst the storms

We calm down during the meditation itself, but does this help in ordinary life? Research says yes.

Participants completed an 8-week meditation course (Desborders et al., 2012). Their brains were scanned before and after.

During the tests, the subjects were shown photographs that evoke positive, neutral and negative emotions.

Results: After a course of meditation, activity in the amygdala, the emotional center of the brain, decreased for all images.

However, if you start meditating, you yourself will notice it. To react more calmly to troubles, not to twitch over trifles, instead of hysterics to take concrete actions - meditation teaches this slowly but surely.

2. Will your friends come to your aid?

Meditation is believed to help you become kinder and more compassionate. Now it has been scientifically proven.

It was research "under cover" ( Condon et al., 2013).

The participants sat in a staged waiting area with two actors.

The third actor entered on crutches, showing with all his sight how much he was in pain. The two sitting next to him completely ignored the unfortunate man. They seemed to be sending an unconscious signal "Do not interfere."

However, meditation practitioners were 50% more likely to offer help to the sufferer.

What can you say here? It is important not only to meditate yourself, but also to involve your friends and loved ones in this. Then, at a difficult moment, they will definitely come to your aid.

3. The Great Secret of the Brain: Add Gray Matter!

Meditation is an incredibly powerful tool. In just 8 weeks, it can change the structure of your brain.

Our brains, it turns out, are surprisingly flexible. With the help of meditation, we can - BY ourselves - change the structure of our own brain, which means - improve health and quality of life.

4. What pain ... What pain?

An important plus from changing the structure of the brain is that regularly meditators experience less pain.

Hot plates were applied to the shins of meditators and non-meditators (Grant et al. 2010). The meditators were less sensitive to pain.

Joshua Grant explained it this way: "As a result of meditation, certain areas of the cortex become denser, and this probably reduces their sensitivity to pain."

Well, meditation helps me with headaches. And I have not tried to apply hot plates yet. I'll take the professor at his word.

five . Can just 20 minutes a day make us smarter?

Would you like your brain to work faster? Just 80 minutes of meditation in 4 days will help you with this.

Even in such a short time of meditation practice participants' cognitive abilities improved markedly(Zeidan et al., 2010).

While the control group listened to Tolkien's audiobook The Hobbit, the meditators improved their working memory, executive function, and visual-spatial processing.

Takeaway: Just 4 days of meditation training can increase the ability to maintain attention; these benefits were previously only found in long-time meditators.

Improvements ranged from 15% to over 50%.

Do you understand, huh? Learn faster, memorize better, plan more efficiently and achieve goals. And all this - not with the help of pills or liters of coffee, but just a quiet, peaceful meditation for 20 minutes a day. Worth a try, no?

6. What meditation is most beneficial for creativity?

Not every bird will reach the middle of the Dnieper. And not all meditation is equally beneficial for creativity.

Scientific research tells us which type of meditation is best for creative problems.

Participants were asked to solve a classic creative challenge: come up with as many uses as possible - for a regular brick (Colzato et al., 2012).

It turned out that most of the unusual ideas came from those who used the method of "focusing on the breath", and not on any particular subject.

Some personal experience: great ideas sometimes come up during meditation. Suddenly once! - and illuminates. For example, how best to solve a math problem, or where to place an ad unit, or which headline to use.

But there are several important features:

• not always an idea comes up on a topic that is needed now. Ideas are pretty unpredictable;
• a good idea must be written down immediately, otherwise it will be forgotten.
• it is not necessary to use only sitting meditation. You can try dynamic (walking in a park or rock garden) or water (in a bath or on the beach).
• and when there are enough new ideas for today, start implementing them. Then next time the muse of creativity will be more willing to look into your light.

7. It is not enough to have a goal. You must be able to keep to the goal

At its core, meditation is a way to learn to concentrate, to gain more control over your own attention.

A growing body of research is proving the benefits of meditation for attention.

17 people who had not meditated before took an 8-week training course in meditation aimed at increasing focus and reducing stress.

To evaluate the results, several tests of attention assessment were carried out for the study and control groups. Those who completed the course were able to concentrate much better.

Distractions attack us from all directions today. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter ... Being able to focus and finish what you want is very, very important. If you need to meditate for this, we will meditate.

8. Multitasking: A Simple Secret Every Manager Should Know

Meditation not only improves cognitive activity... She also helps us in our work.

Just four 20-minute meditation sessions were enough to reduce anxiety by 39%.

When you are angry or worried, sometimes it takes a few minutes to calm down if you sit down to meditate. The main thing here is to start. This is the hardest part.

A little tip: when you are seriously worried, it is very difficult to sit down and meditate serenely. Then you can make a pair physical exercise... Sit down several times, or shake the press. After that, it is much easier to sit.

10. Meditation Against Depression: Kill It Gently

What Happens With Depression? Thought wanders and wanders in a circle, thought is melancholy and depressing.

And I really want to tell the sufferer (or myself): stop thinking sad things!

Alas, it doesn't help. He cannot give up these thoughts, this is the trouble. That is why the treatment of depression symptoms is partly about taking control of the person's attention. Switch from memories of a difficult past to what is happening here and now.

And meditation can also help. Shift your focus from focusing on past regrets or worries about the future to the present.

A recent review of 39 studies of attention has shown that it may help treat depression.

What is the end result?

Meditation helps:

• stay calm in everyday life;
• develops compassion
• adds gray cells to the brain
• reduces pain
• makes us smarter, smarter and more attentive
• helps to come up with brilliant ideas and get creative
• improves concentration
• makes it easier to switch from one task to another
• reduces stress and anxiety
• and even reduces symptoms of depression.

Before, I regularly had the desire to do something else instead of meditation. But after such information, I do not listen to this impulse.

Meditation is the way to calm perception of the world and the ability to see its beauty. It helps to resist stress and find inner peace. You don't need to travel to India or Tibet to figure out how to meditate and take your first steps. It is enough just to listen to yourself, using simple methods of concentration and detachment from the hustle and bustle. We will talk about them in the article on how to learn to meditate.

What is meditation

Meditation can be defined as a special state of inner concentration. By concentrating on the sensations of the body, a person drives away disturbing thoughts, calms down and relaxes. Many meditation enthusiasts admit that often after this, the solution to problems comes to mind by itself.

The word "meditation" comes from the Latin word meditari - mentally contemplate, ponder. The practice of meditation is especially well developed and described in the religious movements of the East.

However, before you figure out how to learn how to meditate, beginners do not need to study the religious and philosophical components of meditation.

There is an opinion that meditation is characteristic not only of Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism and their streams, but was originally inherent in all world religions as a special state of concentration for prayer. Meditative states are described in the Old Testament and the Torah, highlighting the Christian and even Islamic types of meditation.

Meditation, in its secular understanding, became widespread throughout the world in the second half of the 20th century. Since then, theorists and practitioners from various fields of medicine, physiology, and psychology have been studying meditation. But despite the fact that many interesting properties of this state were described in their works, it is worth noting that its nature is still not fully understood.

Why Meditation Is Helpful

Since the mass craze for meditation, scientists have written hundreds of articles on its properties and how to meditate properly to improve your health, both mental and physical. They describe that meditation helps to reduce blood and intracranial pressure, affects brain activity and even affects metabolism. Meditation is also an established psychotherapy method. It helps relieve stress, mental strain, and even fight physical pain. In this sense, meditation and relaxation are closely related.

Meditation, depending on your goals, allows you to:

• withdraw from problems for a while;
• relieve mental and physical stress;
• normalize heart rate and blood pressure, calm down;
• quickly regain strength;
• look at the problem in a new way and find a non-standard solution;
• understand the true causes of anxiety;
• understand yourself, identify truly important goals in life;
• helps to relax and have a good rest at night ( meditation for sleep).

Basic rules of meditation

To distance yourself from worries and hassles, you need a quiet, secluded place where you will not be disturbed for 15-20 minutes. If you cannot achieve complete privacy, you can use earplugs and a blindfold. Many take them with them on the plane to meditate during the flight.

Silence is not the only sound background. Music for meditation or recording of natural noises is also used in many practices.

The position of the body during meditation is not limited to the notorious lotus position. In fact, you can meditate while sitting, lying down, standing, and even while walking. Perhaps the only requirement is a straight back with straightened shoulders.

Special objects help to focus, which can be held in hands, slowly feeling. These are rounded stones, rosary. Many adherents of religious theories talk about their sacred meaning. But if you do not go into the transcendental depths, then the mechanism of action of these objects is very clear. They work like a pen that you twist convulsively to calm yourself down while performing in public, helping to relieve stress.

Many meditation practices involve contemplation. The easiest way is to look at a candle flame or water. There are also ways of meditation that are based on considering geometric shapes with their subsequent complication. To do this, you can purchase special books with such drawings - yantras and mandalas.

Meditation can seem like a daunting task for women on parental leave, as the baby can call at any moment. When asked whether it is worth trying to ignore external signals, trying to maintain the mood for meditation, the practitioners answer: if you hear your name, and this is important for you, get distracted and answer. Nobody can take away the opportunity to start meditation again.

Meditation for beginners: how to start meditating

To explain how to meditate for beginners is not overloaded with information, we will describe one of the most simple ways associated with breathing exercises.

You will need to sit in a comfortable, stable position. You can sit on a chair or armchair, put a pillow under your lower back. Most importantly, do not forget to keep your back straight and put your feet on the floor over your entire foot. Close your eyes and place your hands on your knees, palms up. At first, just observe the breath, inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth. Watch as the air enters your nostrils, expands your lungs, and then exits back, carrying away the tension. When you relax, start breathing with a certain rhythm: on the count of “one” - inhale, then hold your breath for four seconds - “one-two-three-four”, exhale in two counts - “one-two”.

Meditation before bed can be similar to auto-training. Lie in bed and imagine yourself lying on the beach with your feet to the water. Try to feel the water touching your toes on your feet. Then each wave gently envelops you more and more, rising higher through the body. By retreating, it takes away your fatigue and anxiety. The body from bottom to top is more and more filled with warmth, and you feel more and more every cell of it.

These are just some of the suggested techniques. You can try several and find your own that will help you relieve stress.

What relaxation and meditation and what is the difference? Part 2. Read the first part.

What is meditation?

Meditation, translated from the Latin "meditatio", means "reflection." Therefore, this is work. Brain work. Mind training. During meditation, you learn to concentrate on your thoughts, your body. Distracted from external factors and completely immerse yourself in yours. Meditation is looking at oneself from the inside. Periodic meditation practices help you learn to love yourself and accept yourself as you are.

Being yourself and not feeling the need to play any role in communicating with people is true happiness. Meditation will teach you to enjoy the realization of who you are. You will be able to understand what you want from life, what you are missing, and you will find the answer to the question of how to achieve this. If you are in a difficult life situation, meditation practices will help you make a difficult decision and

How is meditation useful?

People who are engaged in meditation are more attentive to small things, concentrated. If you have problems with attentiveness or you quickly forget information (even having received it very recently), you are often distracted by extraneous noises, actions, unnecessary incoming information, meditation will help you to increase your concentration and much.

With the help of meditation, you can "program" yourself for this or that result. Our thoughts can change our lives. leads to success in life. If we know how to control our thoughts, then we will control our destiny, our life, we will attract into life what we need. Meditation helps you learn this.

The connection and difference between meditation and relaxation.

Meditation practitioners say that relaxation helps you find a path to your inner peace. It helps to tune the body to the right wave before plunging into a meditative state, being a kind of prelude to meditation. Others believe that relaxation is just a logical effect of meditation. It happens, and vice versa, some meditative exercises are aimed only at maximally relaxing physically and mentally. It is important to determine the goal here. If you need to quickly relax, relieve stress, distract yourself from obsessive negative thoughts, then one of the relaxation methods described in the previous article will suit you. If your goal is more global and you want to develop your inner world, change your worldview for the better, constantly improve and find harmony, then meditation exercises are suitable for you.

If we draw an analogy with a computer, then relaxation for a person is like a reboot, and meditation is more like an upgrade (modernization) and software update.

Meditation techniques. How to meditate

There are quite a number of different meditation techniques. Consider the simplest ones available to most people. Before exercising, make sure that you will not be distracted (you can turn off the phone, ask the people living with you in the apartment not to disturb you for 15-30 minutes)

1. Meditation with a candle to develop concentration.

This technique consists in keeping your attention on one object (in this case, a candle flame) for as long as possible.

Turn off the light (or curtain the windows, if it's daytime), take any comfortable posture with a straight back (but sitting, because lying down you can just fall asleep), light a candle and place it 30-50 cm away from you at eye level. Calm your breathing and keep your attention at the tip of the flame. Gradually, the candle flame will fill your entire consciousness. Send extraneous thoughts away, concentrate only on fire. Smell the scent of the candle, remember the image of the flame. Close your eyes and recall the image. Open your eyes, take a deep breath and feel a pleasant warmth spreading through your body.

Another plus of this technique is that it helps to improve vision.

2. The most famous "oummmmm". Transcendental Meditation.

Transcendental Meditation is a mantra based meditation. A mantra is one or more consecutive sounds, the pronunciation of which has a certain effect on the body.

Surely you have heard / seen / read, or you just know from somewhere that very often people who meditate sit in the “lotus” position and “hum” lingering sounds like “ohmm”, “ohmmmm”, etc. For many, this picture evokes a smile or even distrust and suspicion of attachment to the fanatical sect. I'll reveal the secret.

Lotus position. It is logical. The back is straight, which allows air to pass freely through the whole body. And the crossed legs, I suspect, help not to relax too much, since you need to maintain balance. This slight tension is quite enough to train the back muscles and form a beautiful posture - as a result, people who practice this technique have a toned appearance and look confident in themselves. The same fitness 🙂

Well, the sounds "ommmm" are nothing more than an object of concentration, and an assistant in immersion in oneself. A person, as it were, shields himself with this sound from the external world, noises and hears nothing but himself, and this, in turn, helps to concentrate on breathing, his inner “I” and distract himself from unnecessary thoughts. In addition, this is an elementary sound therapy, which I will definitely talk about in one of the following articles. Everything is simple and no sectarianism. 🙂

3. Alone with nature.

This type of meditation is simple and very suitable for people living outside the city or those who like fishing / hunting / morning jogging and everyone who is close to nature.

Ideal for the start of the day and provides a boost of positive energy into the night.

So, dress so that you feel comfortable, a tracksuit or windbreaker will probably be optimal choice... Early in the morning (about half an hour before sunrise), even in the city, you can find a quiet, deserted place, such as a promenade or a park. It's good if you can see the horizon from the east side. Then you will feel all the energy of the rising sun. Sit comfortably, but with a straight back (you can take a soft small pillow from home). Feel nature. A breath of wind, early bird songs, the smell of leaves and trees. Feel how the aroma of the air changes from night to morning. You are part of this nature. Meet the dawn and this charge will feed you all day.

If you cannot find harmony and find yourself, or if you are constantly worried about something, then try to meditate. What is meditation? And why is it needed?

What it is?

Meditation is a kind of philosophy that allows you to clear your mind and achieve clarity of consciousness and the highest concentration. Someone believed that this is the real healing, the cleansing of the soul. In general, in translation from Latin, such a word means "thinking, thinking, pondering."

If you have already managed to imagine a sage sitting in a lotus position on the top of a mountain, then by all means get this image out of your head, because the ways, postures and places for meditation can be completely different. In addition, such an activity is available to absolutely everyone! So give it a try!

Views

There are two types of meditation in total:

1. Meditation on emptiness. In this case, there is a complete cleansing of the mind and detachment from the outside world. You need to throw all thoughts out of your head, and then try to concentrate on emptiness, enjoy it, immerse yourself in it. It is believed that in this way you can comprehend your existence, understand the meaning of life and experience real enlightenment. And the most important thing is getting rid of unnecessary thoughts.
2. The second type is meditation on something or directed meditation. In this case, on the contrary, you need to concentrate on one specific thought, immerse yourself in it. Such an activity can help in the event that, for example, you cannot make a choice or make the right decision in any way.

What does meditation give?

Surprisingly, such a seemingly simple activity allows you to heal and heal not only the mind, but also the body. The effect has been proven in laboratory conditions: during the tests, it was found that during meditation the activity of the brain changes, as well as changes in some systems of the body.

What exactly is the benefit of meditation? Here's what she can give:

• You can improve and normalize your emotional and psychological state. You will not be afraid of stress, because you will learn to think calmly and soberly. There will be no trace of depression, and apathy will also pass.
• You will learn to control your emotions and assess situations soberly.
• Over time, you will be able to get rid of some of your fears.
• You will learn to enjoy every moment of life and create your own mood.
• Your self-esteem will increase, all your actions and words will become more confident and convincing.
• The concentration of attention will increase, the level of intelligence will increase.
• You will learn to think quickly and think logically.
• Meditation is great relaxation, and relaxation in the modern pace of life is a must.
• If you meditate regularly, you can get rid of chronic fatigue and weakness, as well as normalize your sleep (bad thoughts often interfere with sleep).
• With this activity, the amount of stress hormones is significantly reduced and the amount of hormones responsible for good mood such as endorphins.
• The work of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems is normalized.
• Surprisingly, the immune system will gradually strengthen.

Preparation

How do you learn to meditate? First, you need to prepare for such an activity and create optimal conditions. There are several important points, we will dwell on each of them in more detail.

Where?

First, choose a suitable location. It all depends on you. For example, if you love fresh air and have always dreamed of achieving unity with nature, then go to some nearby forest. But you shouldn't go too far. And at the same time, it is important to consider that it is best to meditate in splendid isolation and away from prying eyes. You can equip a cozy meditation corner right on your balcony.

Many are more comfortable and more accustomed to immerse themselves in their consciousness at home, and this is really expedient and convenient.

But make sure that no one distracts you, and that you are as comfortable as possible.

It is undesirable to meditate in the bedroom, because in this case your brain may simply "turn off" (after all, it is used to being turned off in this particular room), and you will fall asleep. But if there are no more places, then the bedroom will do.

Situation

The environment should be calm, quiet, peaceful and comfortable for you. Arrange everything the way you like. For example, music helps some to relax, others come to the aid of various aromatic oils and incense, while others need complete silence or a favorite comfortable pillow.

When?

Now choose a time. It also completely depends on you, your biological rhythms, as well as on the daily routine. For example, if you do not have time for anything in the morning, then leave this activity for the evening. Just you can relax and throw everything out of your head after a hard day, which some just need.

But for many, the evening is a time of business and worries, as well as a time when it is simply impossible to concentrate on something. In this case, it makes sense to get up early sutra and devote the morning hours to meditation. In general, there is an ideal time for each person.

How long should you meditate? It takes at least 20 minutes to completely detach from reality and relax. A ten minute meditation will definitely not be effective and fruitful. Better yet, meditate twice a day, then insight will come even faster.

In what position?

The meditation posture is also important, as your comfort depends on it. The lotus position is not the only option. But it is still better to meditate while sitting and so that the spine remains straight, but at the same time the back does not rest on any surface.

If you are uncomfortable in this position, choose another one that is sure to be convenient for yourself. Some meditate lying down, but you cannot fall asleep during the session, so if you did not get enough sleep today, then it is better to refuse the horizontal position.

How to do it: ways

How should meditation be done? There is no single algorithm, so it can be difficult for beginners to immediately grasp the essence. There are several ways to immerse yourself in your consciousness:

1. The first way is to concentrate on the breath. Breathe evenly, fill your chest with air, concentrate on this and do not think about anything else. Feel how the air enters you and fills the whole body, spreads through it, and then leaves you.
2. The second way is sound concentration or the use of so-called mantras. A mantra is a set of sounds or words that helps to relax and abstract from reality. You can use ready-made and proven mantras or those you have invented. For example, many people pronounce a short but capacious syllable "Om". Stretch it, feel how vibrations pass through every part of your body.
3. The third way is to concentrate on a visual object. This technique is suitable for beginners, as it allows you to quickly distract from your thoughts. Choose an object or object and concentrate all your attention on it. This could be, for example, a candle flame, a body of water, a painting, a tree, or something else.
4. Another way is to concentrate on movement. Just turn on the music and start moving to it. Don't try to dance by any rules, relax and give in to your feelings and feelings. To enhance the effect, you can close your eyes or turn off the light.

Some useful tips for beginners:

• Don't try to think about not thinking. If you can’t drop your thoughts, postpone the session.
• If you are depressed, then do not be alarmed that you have become worse. Keep up the good work, everything will change soon.
• Don't expect immediate results. Meditation is a long process. Do it every day, evaluate your condition, listen to yourself.
• Do not eat after or before meditation. An overloaded stomach will ruin everything and drown out the sensations.

Meditate and enjoy the changes and results!

The widespread popularity of meditation is due to the multifaceted positive impact for physical and psychological health person. Oriental techniques are not only the best remedy for relaxation, but also one of the most versatile and effective ways to solve many problems of a psychological nature and to heal diseases of the body, regardless of the type of technique chosen.

The ambiguous attitude towards Buddhist techniques is due to the fact that it is almost impossible to determine the mechanism of their impact. But testimonials from the healed and scientific studies confirm that the benefits of meditation exist. Research has identified several areas that meditation affects most actively.

Benefits for the brain

Based on the research of foreign scientists, it was possible to establish that the eastern methods of modeling consciousness have a positive effect on the brain:

• In people who practice meditation, the amplitude of the alpha waves is lengthened. Such an indicator of the amplitude change says that people become less susceptible to nervous stress, negative emotions decrease;
• Gradually, there is a thickening of the tissues of some parts of the brain, which are responsible for cognitive activity;
• The amount of gray matter in the departments that are responsible for the formation of a point of view, awareness of oneself as a person increases;
• The amount of sleep needed to get a good rest is reduced;
• Generation of gamma waves, which are responsible for fast logical thinking, is increased by 50%;
• Meditators are characterized by thickening of the prefrontal part of the brain and the islet of Rail, which are responsible for concentration;
• The development of degenerative mental disorders, which are associated with age-related brain names, is delayed.

Benefits for the whole body

Meditation not only has a beneficial effect on the human brain, but also on the entire body as a whole. With the help of oriental techniques, people manage to achieve normalization blood pressure ... Already during the session with a candle, pressure begins to stabilize, regardless of hypertension or hypotension. In the course of scientific research, it was found that meditation slows down the heart rate, reduces oxygen consumption, and heals heart diseases. Buddhist techniques greatly increase the protective barrier of the immune system and improve overall well-being.

American scientists have found that during meditation, a large amount of the hormone endorphin is released into the blood of a person, which has a relaxing effect on the muscles of the whole body. And regular practice, as we already wrote in the last article, allows you to completely abandon addictions that are harmful to all body systems. It is not for nothing that many drug addiction clinics often practice collective and individual meditation with a candle.

Psychohygiene

It is a well-known fact for many that the benefits of meditation extend to the human psyche. Depression, panic attacks and negative emotions can be easily overcome with the help of Buddhist methods. After a hard day's work, you can get rid of the accumulated negativity with the help of meditation with a candle. Buddhist techniques are the best mental hygiene for a person.

Scientific studies have shown that often consciousness modeling classes are many times more effective than treating a person with antidepressants and sedatives, which are also harmful to health.

The psychosomatic nature of most diseases is no longer denied by traditional medicine. Mental health directly affects the health of the body. A person engaged in meditation is able to ensure the harmony of his inner world and improves the perception of the functioning of his own body, which in fact is a prophylaxis against various diseases of the body and minimizes harm from external negative factors.

Negative impact

Studying how meditation is useful, not many are interested in whether there is harm from systematic practice of oriental techniques. There is an opinion that the techniques for modeling consciousness and relaxation have absolutely no negative impact, but this opinion is a little erroneous.

Being in a state of trance, a person is not able to resist various programs of suggestion, therefore his consciousness, beliefs can become "plasticine" in the hands of an experienced manipulator. The above circumstances are the main possible harm from oriental practices. At its core, meditation has no negative effects.