Meditation and mindfulness are buzzwords that you have no doubt heard thrown around all over the place recently. While it is easy to dismiss this as another temporary trend, the reason these practices have entered the mainstream is because they are in fact powerful tools that can have a meaningful impact on your life.
What is Meditation?
Meditation is as old as African spirituality itself. Almost every religion on the planet uses meditation as a tool for spiritual fortification and communion with the infinite.Some forms of meditation focus on the body, while others help the initiate draw closer to the Most High. The one thing that all forms of meditation have in common is that they address the worst part of the human condition: the mind. One of the most difficult concepts for new initiates to overstand is that you are not your thoughts. You are the consciousness that observes those thoughts. You are the thinker, not the thought. Meditation has been scientifically proven to help alleviate stress, and help you become more mindful. Being mindful means being present in the here and now, so you can fully engage with whatever is happening in the moment, whether that is at home, at work, or with your loved ones.
How does Mediation work?
There are many ways you can practice mediation. However, the essential idea is that you take the time to relax, and focus your mind on one particular thing, allowing all other thoughts and stresses to dissipate.
The most common way to do this is to pay attention to your breath. This helps to bring you into the present, clear your mind, and reach a calm, emotionally stable state. This has been proven to reduce anxiety, lower blood pressure, and allow you to sleep easier.
Using Mediation to reach your goals
As mentioned, practicing meditation has numerous positive benefits on your mental and physical well-being. It makes you a happy, healthier person, and when harnessed correctly, it can be a powerful tool in helping you achieve your goals.
This is because through meditation, you can train your brain to get rid of the negative habits that produce stress and fear, and instead focus on what really matters. The mentally clarity it provides helps you to stay focused for longer periods of time, so you can make better decisions, and gets rid of any anxiety that is stopping you from moving forward with your goals.
It also helps you to stay calm in stressful situations, such as when dealing with a problem at work or a conflict in your personal life. When you are calm, you can communicate better, and see situations from all sides, which makes it much easier to reach a resolution.
Additionally, mediation helps improve your mood. This has all sorts of benefits, as you can see problems from a positive state of mind and focus on solutions, rather than being weighed down by worry and stress. When you approach life with a positive attitude, you will see how issues that used to plague you suddenly become much smaller, giving you the mental space to relax and truly enjoy life. It gives you the power needed to make positive change and move forward with your life. So why not give it a try?