Meditation dates back thousands of years and despite its age this practice is common worldwide because it has benefits for brain health and overall well-being. According to Cleveland Clinics, depending on the type of meditation you choose, you can meditate to relax, reduce anxiety and stress, and more.
Interestingly, some people even use meditation to help them improve their health, such as using it to help adapt to the challenges of quitting tobacco products.
What is meditation?
Meditation is a practice that involves focusing or clearing your mind using a combination of mental and physical techniques, Cleveland Clinic says. Modern diagnostic and imaging techniques, like electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans, show that meditation can positively affect your brain and mental health.
According to National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, some types of meditation involve maintaining mental focus on a particular sensation, such as breathing, a sound, a visual image, or a mantra, which is a repeated word or phrase.
Other forms of meditation include the practice of mindfulness, which involves maintaining attention or awareness on the present moment without making judgments.
How do you start to meditate?
There’s no one correct way to meditate. According to Cleveland Clinics, there are various forms of meditations:
- Body-centered meditation
- Contemplation
- Emotion-centered meditation
- Mantra meditation
- Meditation with movement
- Mindfulness meditation
- Visual-based meditation
What are the benefits of meditation?
People who meditate are more likely to see the following benefits:
- Decreased symptoms of anxiety, depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Improved ability to think, concentrate and solve problems.
- Better ability to adapt to and overcome emotional problems
“Because mental health has a strong impact on the health of your body, those benefits also often bring improvements in how well you sleep, high blood pressure and heart function, and much more,” Cleveland Clinic says.
What are the 7 steps of meditation?
Here are the 7 steps of meditation:
- Sit upright comfortably
- Gently close your eyes
- Breathe deeply
- Slowly scan your body, and notice any sensations
- Be aware of any thoughts you are having
- When your mind wanders, focus on your breath
- Gently open your eyes when you are ready
How long should I meditate a day?
Experts recommend meditating for between five and 45 minutes per day. If you’re a beginner, start with short sessions of a few minutes, and slowly add time as you develop your meditating skills.