If you have been following this series on the health benefits of
meditation, then hopefully you have given meditation a go by now, and as
you meditate and relax, you may well have asked yourself ‘What is
actually happening here?’
What is happening is this – The Relaxation Response is kicking in,
thanks to your Parasympathetic Nervous System, which is the opposite of
your Sympathetic Nervous System.
When you meditate, or rest effectively, the Parasympathetic Nervous
System takes over and gets to work reversing the ‘flight or fight’
stress response, counteracting its effects, relaxing the mind and taking
your body on a healing journey back to a balanced state of homeostasis.
This is the Relaxation Response. It is proven scientific fact.
This is the single most tangible thing that beginning a regular
practice of meditation can do for you and your health. Meditation can be
of great help if you are a person who has trouble switching off the
mind and unwinding. Even if you are a fairly chilled-out person, you
will still benefit from the deeper levels of relaxation, and the healing
that this will encourage.
How To Achieve Biological Balance
How To Achieve Biological Balance
The Relaxation Response is important in achieving biological balance, or homeostasis.
It is when you are moving towards this state of homeostasis that your
body sets about repairing itself and combating pathogens. In order to
achieve this desirable state you need to learn to relax. Sounds obvious,
but in fact it is a skill that many people need to consciously learn.
The idea of relaxation being a barbeque with friends or walking the
dog just isn’t enough – helpful, yes – but not enough. Your mind keeps
busy with worries when you walk the dog, and you just plain distract
yourself from ‘your-self’ when you hang out with friends.
When you meditate
you can measurably feel deep relaxation taking place. Firstly, when you
sit down, take stock of yourself. Is your mind racing? How would you
describe your mood? Are you irritated or stressed? Excited? Happy?
Bored? Depressed?
Then notice physical things about your body like tense shoulders,
headaches, or other discomfort. Even those of us who are particularly
young and/or fit will notice the subtle imperfections inherent to life
in the physical realm when you take the time to meditate.
The Many Benefits of Meditation
So to sum up: the benefits you can gain from meditation are increased
physical health and increased mental health. This means that if it is
possible that your body/mind can heal or recover from any condition or
ailment, then a regular, effective meditation practice will assist this
process to occur in a more dynamic and expedient manner. It does this by
allowing the immune system to do its job better, and by helping you to
be happier and less stressed.
But: an important point – meditation isn’t an instant cure-all. There
are generally no easy ‘outs’ in this life – the fact is benefit must be
earned, health must be preserved and damage is often hard to undo.
Encouragingly, meditation can represent a major breakthrough in your life. You are unlikely to suddenly meditate
your way from down-in-the-dumps to on-top-of-the-world in your first
sitting, but you can expect to make some leaps forward in your
progression through life.
Beginning to understand and practice meditation can be a glorious
eye-opening experience. It can take you (or rather you can take
yourself) on a long and interesting journey inwards towards a more
positive frame of mind and a happier, healthier and probably longer
life.
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