Unlocking the Power of Meditation: A Journey to Inner Peace and Well-being

I have not always been fascinated with meditation; in my youth, I was vaguely aware of the practice as an Eastern religious ritual of sorts, and because I had never genuinely applied thought to meditation after a few minutes of careless breathing techniques and an undisciplined mind I couldn’t recognize the practical benefits of it. Through my twenties, I taught myself a breathing technique or two, without practice, but without a genuinely focused routine the practice of meditation provided me with little more than inconsistent relaxation. I was altogether unaware of the full scope of its advantages. Into my early thirties, I couldn’t help but wonder what I wasn’t doing correctly and how I could apply the meditation ritual to provide real-world practical benefits. Meditation has a rich history, dating back thousands of years, and knowing that it seemed unrealistic to think the benefits of meditation weren’t legitimate.

            Meditation originated in India in 3000 BCE, a modality used in Ayurveda (the science of life) a form of ancient medicine that evolved to guide people through a spiritual awakening to deepen the understanding of the mind and achieve enlightenment. In recent decades, meditation has gained popularity in the West as a tool to combat stress, increase mental clarity, and enhance overall well-being. The rise in the interest of mediation can be attributed to the increasing awareness of the benefits of general mindful practices. Practicing meditation has benefits that interweave into areas that include (but are not limited to): psychology, physiology, and emotional intelligence.

The psychological benefits of meditation include stress and anxiety reduction. Practiced breathing techniques and a focused mind reduce cortisol levels in our brains, which improves sleep quality. Frequent and consistent meditation creates the habit of focus and attention that persists throughout our daily routines, increasing our patience and understanding, both with ourselves and in our relationships. Through the act of meditation, we learn to acknowledge and regulate our emotions better, which helps to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. The development of this incidentally helps increase self-awareness, with pain management and addiction recovery, and improve our relationships—heightening our overall well-being.

·         The physical benefits include improved sleep, which also reduces stress, depression, and anxiety, as well as enhanced immune function, muscle repair and growth, weight gain, and improved cognitive performance. Meditation also improves immune and brain function by increasing grey matter which protects the brain. Blood pressure decreases during meditation and can reduce strain on the heart and blood vessels and help prevent heart disease. The benefits of meditation are a ripple effect, like frequency spreading and encountering and supporting other waves.

·         The psychological and physical effects of meditation indirectly enhance our mood, increasing our emotional well-being, and the very act of meditating is a habit formation and a ripple effect of benefits that not only regulate certain chemicals and processes within the body but also regulate how we regulate those physical and psychological processes. The benefits of meditation are limitless—assuming you are practicing meditation properly.

            The deeper you dive into the concepts of meditation you begin to learn that, like the different forms of yoga, there are a variety of forms of meditation; There are breathing techniques that inspire different intentions, positions that open parts of the body up for specific effects, and mudras (or hand gestures) that allow your energy to flow with premeditation and desire. Without understanding this, it's easy to assume that you know all that you need to know, I mean how difficult can meditating be? And so many people, when practicing a personal misrepresentation of meditation consequently get nothing or very little out of it. There are mindfulness meditations that focus on being present and observing thought without judgment, transcendental meditations that involve repeating mantras to achieve a relaxed awareness, and “loving-kindness” meditations that focus on cultivating feelings of compassion and love towards oneself and others.

            A general approach to meditation, before you meditate, is to find a quiet and comfortable space, I often sit on my couch with my shoes off and my feet firmly on the floor with my hands resting on my knees. You can sit or lie down, I have bad knees so sitting cross-legged for an extended period hurts, and although the position is how we see most practitioners meditating it’s not a requisite. You can sit cross-legged, you can sit on a chair with your legs extended or bent with your feet on the floor, there are walking meditations, and you can even be lying down. In any case, before you meditate you want to put yourself in a relaxed position. Close your eyes and focus on your breath; inhale through your nose, hold for a moment, and then exhale through your mouth—how you breathe, whether you’re taking long breaths, breathing deeply, short breaths, short rapid breaths, or somewhere between—depends on what your intention for meditation might be, and that’s something you’re going to want to explore with more detail.

As for the general process: repeat your breathing pattern, whatever it may be, feel your chest expand and your abdomen rise when you inhale, and contract when you exhale, and allow your thoughts and feelings to come and then pass. Some thoughts and feelings will linger, and you will on occasion get lost in your thoughts and feelings, and in some cases, you’ll want to push some of those thoughts and feelings away (don’t force anything when meditating) lingering thoughts and feelings are OK to have, because once you become aware of them refocus and allow them to pass organically. When you hold on to thoughts and feelings when meditating, it does not mean you are doing it wrong, it means you're human and a part of meditation is allowing yourself to be human. When meditating on the fly, as stressful situations arise, take a moment to breathe deeply and focus on the present moment. Acknowledge your feelings without judgment, which is to say don’t label your feelings as “good” or “bad,” and allow yourself to find a sense of calm amidst the feelings of chaos.

In my late thirties, I began to examine the merits of meditation a lot more critically. I have been through things throughout my childhood and adult life alike that have been traumatic and that have accordingly developed into depression, stress, apprehension, anger, doubt, and confusion. What I do remember of my childhood is a blur. I have often viewed life as a spectator watching what happens to me as though I were watching life unfold as it would to a character in a story—it was never me. Practicing meditation has opened the doors to several forgotten memories, to reexamine situations throughout my life without the shroud of anxiety, and to explore who it is that I truly am. Meditation is more than a window into the past and an opportunity to experience it, it’s also a tool to help guide me into a future that otherwise would have been dictated by that past. There is a lot for me to learn and explore about meditation, and I’m looking forward to expanding on that.

            My journey with meditation has taught me that this ancient practice is far more than a fleeting trend or a quick fix for stress. Meditation is a powerful tool that can transform our lives from the inside out, helping us to cultivate greater self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and overall well-being. By embracing meditation and making it a consistent part of our daily routine, we can tap into its limitless benefits and discover a deeper sense of calm, clarity, and purpose. Whether you’re a seasoned meditator or just starting, I encourage you to explore the many forms of meditation and find what works best for you. With a little patience, persistence, and an open mind, you can unlock the transformative power of meditation and discover a more peaceful, compassionate, and fulfilling life.