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I often include meditation in wellness programs and people ask me why? Well quite simply put, it is a much under rated and very important part of every person. Daily meditation has far reaching benefits that will assist most any type of healing modality and approach and in many cases; meditation on its own is very soothing and healing.WHAT IS MEDITATION

An ordinary person may consider meditation as a worship or prayer. But it is not so. Meditation means awareness. Whatever you do with awareness is meditation. “Watching your breath” is meditation; listening to the birds is meditation. As long as these activities are free from any other distraction to the mind, it is effective meditation.

Meditation is not a technique but a way of life. Meditation means ‘to join together or to yoke’. It describes a state of consciousness, when the mind is free of scattered thoughts and various patterns. The observer (one who is doing meditation) realizes that all the activity of the mind is reduced to one.

A Tibetan Lama was being monitored on a brain scan machine by a scientist wishing to test physiological functions during deep meditation. The scientist said – “Very good Sir. The machine shows that you are able to go very deep in brain relaxation, and that validates your meditation”. “No”, said the Lama, “This (pointing to his brain) validates the machine!”
These days it is commonly understood to mean some form of spiritual practice where one sits down with eyes closed and empties the mind to attain inner peace, relaxation or even an experience of God. Some people use the term as “my gardening is my meditation” or for jogging or art or music, hence creating confusion or misunderstanding.

The word meditation is derived from two Latin words: meditari (to think, to dwell upon, and to exercise the mind) and mederi (to heal). Its Sanskrit derivation ‘medha’ means wisdom.
Many years ago meditation was considered something just not meant for modern people, but now it has become very popular with all types of people. Published scientific and medical evidence has proved its benefits, but it still needs to be much understood.

Traditionally, the classical yoga texts, describe that to attain true states of meditation one must go through several stages. After the necessary preparation of personal and social code, physical position, breath control, and relaxation come the more advanced stages of concentration, contemplation, and then ultimately absorption. But that does not mean that one must perfect any one stage before moving onto the next. The Integral yoga approach is simultaneous application of a little of all stages together.

Commonly today, people can mean any one of these stages when they refer to the term meditation. Some schools only teach concentration techniques, some relaxation, and others teach free form contemplative activities like just sitting and awaiting absorption. Some call it meditation without giving credence to yoga for fear of being branded ‘eastern’. But yoga is not something eastern or western as it is universal in its approach and application.
With regular practice of a balanced series of techniques, the energy of the body and mind can be liberated and the quality of consciousness can be expanded. This is not a subjective claim but is now being investigated by the scientists and being shown by an empirical fact.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF MEDITATION

Though meditation is usually recognized as a largely spiritual practice, it also has many health benefits. The yoga and meditation techniques are being implemented in management of life threatening diseases; in transformation of molecular and genetic structure; in reversal of mental illnesses, in accelerated learning programs, in perceptions and communications beyond the physical, in solving problems and atomic and nuclear physics; in gaining better ecological understanding; in management of lifestyle and future world problems. Some benefits of meditation are:

• It lowers oxygen consumption.

• It decreases respiratory rate.

• It increases blood flow and slows the heart rate.

• Increases exercise tolerance in heart patients.

• Leads to a deeper level of relaxation.

• Good for people with high blood pressure as it brings the B.P. to normal.

• Reduces anxiety attacks by lowering the levels of blood lactate.

• Decreases muscle tension (any pain due to tension) and headaches.

• Builds self-confidence.

• It increases serotonin production which influences mood and behaviour.

• Low levels of serotonin are associated with depression, obesity, insomnia and headaches.

• Helps in chronic diseases like allergies , arthritis etc.

• Reduces Pre- menstrual Syndrome.

• Helps in post-operative healing.

• Enhances the immune system. Research has revealed that meditation increases activity of ‘natural-killer cells’, which kill bacteria and cancer cells.

Also reduces activity of viruses and emotional distress.

Benefits of meditation on Women’s health and Pregnancy:

Identity of your own – besides daughter, wife, mother etc.-

Women begin life as someone’s daughter, and then someone’s lover, wife, someone’s mother. Yes, but who am I- who am I really? Not only does a woman need an understanding of her body but also needs to connect with the essence of her true self. A true self, which is an identity beyond everyday change- beyond gender, beyond fluctuations of hormones, beyond family expectations and other superimposed personality patterns. Discovering this true self is not as easy. Just when you know who you are, it all changes again.

The process of self discovery involves, stripping off false layers of identity, going back through all the conditionings, realizing- “I am not that, and not that, and not that”, an emptiness out of which arises the realization – “Ah ha! I am that”.
The place for this self discovery is not the psychiatrist’s couch, the matrimonial bed, the mother’s group, or even a yoga retreat, but within your own private meditation times.

Resolve Phobias

Meditation can help to resolve the deepest of neuroses, fears and conflict which play their part in causing stress and ill health.

For mothers-to-be

Meditation puts mothers in tune with their babies. Manta Japa is especially appropriate for pregnant women. After birth, daily meditation becomes a precious time to refocus and make sense of the many new thoughts and feelings which can be running through your mind, brought about by the events of childbirth and new motherhood.
Now you can see why I am an advocate of meditation.
Have a great day!

Craig Hitchens. B.HSc.

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