Monday, January 26, 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 long history of effectiveness, meditation today is being carried out not simply to bring peace to the mind and lower stress levels but also to cure a widening range of physical ailments.

There are numerous physical benefits to meditation which slows the heart rate and therefore the strain on the heart, reduces levels of the 'stress' hormone cortisol and other body chemicals which are associated with stress and reduces the number of free radicals in the body thus further helping to lower blood pressure. Meditation also improves the flow of air in the lungs to aid breathing and can even increasing levels of DHEA to help 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 number of physical conditions for which there is a link between the physical condition and the emotional state of the sufferer.

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

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

* Creating an increase in energy that make it easier to tackle the stresses of daily life.

* Providing an increased ability to deal with a variety of vices and addictions ranging from alcohol and tobacco to tranquilizers.

And so the list goes on.

Just like everything else however meditation can be a powerful force for good if it is used correctly but it can also cause more problems than it solves if it is not used properly. 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. - 14915

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