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 is even used to treat depression, stress and anxiety. The deep rest that a person achieves through meditation can rid him or her of 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 even used this practice in the deliberation, to help them quit smoking and to put a stop to alcohol and drug addictions. A person 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
|