Saturday, January 31, 2009

Rediscovering The Benefits Of The Time Honored Art Of Meditation

By Donald Saunders

As the pace of life gets faster and we lead ever busier lives so there is a tendency to neglect our physical and mental health so that more and more of us are now suffering from stress to some degree. It is perhaps not surprising therefore that we are turning increasingly to time honored practice of meditation.

Because of its proven history of effectiveness, today meditation is being performed not only to calm the mind and lower stress levels but also to treat a widening range of physical complaints.

Indeed there are several physical benefits to meditation which lowers the heart rate and consequently the strain on the heart, reduces levels of the hormone cortisol and other chemicals in the body that are linked to stress and reduces free radicals in the body thus further helping to reduce blood pressure. It also improves the flow of oxygen through the lungs to aid breathing and can even increasing levels of DHEA which helps to slow the aging process.

In terms of its psychological benefits, meditation reduces anxiety and irritability and improves your memory and thus your ability to learn. Accordingly, it also produces a positive outlook on life giving you a feeling of rejuvenation and youthfulness.

Some other significant benefits of meditation include:

* Producing a complete relaxation of not only the body and mind but also of your very spirit.

* Assisting with the treatment of a variety of illnesses for which there is an association between the physical illness and the emotional state of the sufferer.

* Affecting an opening into the 'inner self' which released our natural creativity.

* Providing an enhancement to our innate self-confidence leading to a stronger and more dominant will power.

* Generating an increase in levels of energy which make it easier to tackle the strains of daily life.

* Generating an increased ability to tackle several addictions and vices ranging from alcohol and tobacco to tranquilizers.

And so the list goes on.

However, just like everything else meditation can be a powerful force for good when it is used properly but it can also cause more problems than it solves when it is not used correctly. The secret therefore is to know precisely what meditation can do and to learn the art of meditation before you add daily meditation to your routine. - 14130

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