Benefits of Meditation

“Indian artifacts show the history of meditation dates back 5,000 years. Researchers suggest that primitive hunting and gathering societies may have discovered meditation and its many different states of consciousness while gazing into the flames of their fires. The history of Meditation has evolved over thousands of years, into a structured practice that people use daily.

“One of the biggest proponents in the history of meditation is the Buddha. The Buddha is also known as one of the biggest meditation icons in both current and times past and has been around since 500 B.C. The teaching of the Buddha became popular in the Asian continent. According to the history of meditation other separate countries and cultures soon adopted many different forms of meditation creating their own special ways of practicing it. Some of the most popularly used forms today are the Buddhist and Hindu-based Easter-style meditation.

“After meditation hit the East, it took thousands of years for it to spread to Western societies.  It wasn’t until the mid-20th century when it finally started to gain popularity in the West. Many researchers and professors in the 1960's and 1970s, learned of the multitude of benefits that meditation had to offer as they began testing the effects of it.

“Meditation is a practice that helps people achieve balance both mentally and physically as well as emotionally. It can be used to treat depression, stress and anxiety. The deep rest that a person achieves through meditation can relieve stress and enables that person to make better choices by allowing them to think more clearly.  There have been reports of higher self esteem in people who meditate.

“People have used this practice to help them quit smoking and to put a stop to alcohol and drug addictions. A woman can even reduce blood pressure and greatly lower the symptoms of menopause and premenstrual syndrome. Meditation also helps to lower ones heart rate and blood pressure by slowing down ones breathing which lowers the amount of oxygen needed for the body. The thought process allows the mind and muscles to gently relax.

“The history of Meditation has proven that this practice of the mind and body can help a person in a multitude of ways.  You can practice this in the comfort of your own home or  become involved in a local meditation group.  No matter how you choose to incorporate meditation into your life style you will be sure to discover a fountain of benefits.”

By Mary Jones: