Benefits Of Meditation For Our Wellness

There is no question that the modern western lifestyle is becoming increasingly responsible for many life threatening diseases including stroke and heart attack. Longer working hours combined with fast food, lack of exercise and dysfunctional households are all common characteristics of our western lifestyle. Mental and physical health costs are going through the roof and it seems that we are powerless to do anything about these damning statistics. Or are we? What role can meditation play in this scenario? What is it and can meditation be the saviour of Corporate America?Meditation, an exercise recommended for everyone, but especially those of us with hectic, stressful lifestyles, is defined as an engagement in contemplation, especially of a spiritual or devotional nature. Meditation has been shown to relieve stress, and promote overall good health, by simply reflecting upon our day, and finding happiness within ourselves. This and other mind exercises help us to keep our mind fit, and functioning at top performance levels. But up until the last twenty years, meditation was something the western world new little about. Is it necessary for our health? Or have we just come up with a new fad, to fill up the empty hours of our day?

Our mind has varying levels of operation, known as brainwaves. As we pass through the different stages of our day, we enter various stages of brain wave activity. The brain uses this tool as one way to allow us time to rest our busy mind, and cope with all the pieces of information we've received, a way to kind of "mind file" for the day.

Modern alternative medicine and holistic healers believe in the power of the energy that flows through our bodies; this energy radiates from our mind as well. It is believed to be the chief form of transportation for our body's nervous system to carry out communication. Breathing techniques, music, aromas, and candle therapy are all ways we utilize the opportunities to reflect on our day, allow our mind to rest and replenish itself for further use. But are these methods keeping us mentally fit? Yes, it does help to keep us mentally fit. The great benefit in meditation, however, is the mind's ability to transform itself into a vehicle for higher awareness. Meditation is a way for us to become aware of the fact that there is more to our being than just our physical activity. We have so much more potential locked away in our mind, resources that we never tap into until we have the chance to quiet the mind, quiet our surroundings and open the door to the possibilities we don't examine on a day to day basis.

In our meditative state, thoughts that never have the opportunity to be heard during the bustle of the day are afforded the opportunity to come forward and be heard. Every step that we take is a step in some direction for our life. The opportunity to set our own destiny, develop our manifestation of what we believe our life should be, is the opportunity meditation provides. Every action we've ever taken started as a thought. The thought was then brought into reality by our action on that thought. So are we able to produce new thoughts and new possibilities, in this time of quiet reflection.

Meditation does not have to be formal in the true sense of the word. We don't need to sit in the lotus position and chant! It can be anything that enables us to have time to reflect on our inner thoughts. For example, it may mean a walk in a park for some, or a yoga class for another. It can be finding a quiet place in the garden for an hour or laying on your bed and relaxing in total silence. If it promotes reflection of your inner most thoughts and results in de-stressing your body, then it can be termed "meditation".