The Benefits of Meditation
| March 12, 2012 | Posted by admin under Meditation, Mind |
So today I’m going to talk about meditation.
Together with me now-- Ohhmmmmmmm
Back in the day I remember thinking that meditation was only for the hippies, the radical environmentalists, the people that were too unlike myself for meditation to have ANY real benefit whatsoever.
Well shows how much I know (read: nothing). A couple years later and I will eagerly tell you how I believe meditation is the single greatest thing you can do for yourself, and probably the answer to most of the world’s problems today.
As Marty McFly would say– “…That’s pretty heavy, Doc.”
So why such a radical shift? There are PLENTY of people that still think that meditation is only for hippies and Buddhists and that’s probably why so many are hesitant to try. So please, let me explain myself.
These are what I personally feel are the most important benefits of meditation.
- People that meditate actually have an increase in brain matter density. Yes, you read that right. Zen masters that have been meditating for years PHYSICALLY (this is an honorary up-yours to all the skeptics out there) have bigger brains than the rest of the population. The left side of their brains (positive thinking) were almost twice the size of their right sides (negative thinking). Know what this means? More room in that hole in your head for logical thinking. Reasoning. Emotional awareness. All that good stuff that your mother yells at you for not having.
- Not only do you have MORE of a brain, but your brain will just work better, period. There was one seminar where this meditation expert was talking about everyday life– I’ll never forget it. He said that the brain, just like anything else we have– hands, legs, arms– is a tool that we can learn to use for better or for worse. You use your brain everyday but have not trained it, like an athlete that refuses to work out his muscles. And in so, you are not at your full potential.
- Now I know meditation can been used for a LOT of different things– relaxation, increasing the immune system, lowering blood pressure, etc– but I honestly believe that for anxiety, meditation may be the key– the solution– that many, many people are looking for. Why? Meditation changes your patterns of thoughts. The one thing it is *meant* to do is change your pattern of thoughts. That’s why it’s been used experimentally for people with generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and given positive results that many other medications haven’t been able to (without getting you addicted to benzos and crashing, I mean). And really, if someone says they live in a world without anxiety, then guess what? They’re LYING.
- I guess the most important thing about meditation, though, is that it just… it just makes you so much more comfortable with life, and so much more comfortable with yourself. Skeptics will probably throw this out of the water. But really, from personal experience, after meditating more and more I find myself getting angry less often, getting sad less often, becoming more creative, becoming more outgoing, having more self-esteem, and just doing better overall in every aspect of life. I know so much more about myself than when I started meditating, and I know so much more about other people now too. And really, isn’t that what life is all about?
What I’m trying to say is…
There is absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t start meditating. It can only change your life for the better– how many things can you say that about in this world? It takes no money, a bit of effort, and 10 minutes a day. Yes, all these benefits and only 10 minutes a day.
Some other time I’ll post a “how” of meditation, and that’s really where stuff gets interesting.
