Meditation Definition Meditation encompasses an extremely broad array of practices some of which are connected to many of the world's religious and philosophical traditions. Until fairly recently, the primary purpose of meditation has been religious, but of course even within religion meditation was used partially for healing . Meditation can either be a non effortful calming of the mind, were one is trained to notice each perception or thought that passes, but without stopping on any one, this can be experienced as just happening. Meditation can also be avoiding random thought processes and fantasies, and keeping a subject in mind. through, a serious contemplation, reflecting, a concentrated continued thought and focus, the turning or revolving of that subject in the mind. That subject can be a sound, object, person, visualization, once breath, a movement, a spiritual or improvement passage, or a concentration on attention or the mind itself. It may involve a variety of positions and postures including sitting cross-legged, standing, laying down, and walking (sometimes along designated floor patterns). Meditation Purpose
The value of Meditation to balance a person's physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual states and to alleviate suffering and promote healing has been known and practiced for thousands of years.The stated purpose of meditation however varies almost as much as the practices. It has been seen as a means of gaining experiential insight into the nature of reality (religious/spiritual or not), or communing with the Deity/Ultimate Reality. Meditation might be used as an essential part for the cultivation of wisdom and compassion and for understanding reality. It might be to drive words deep into our minds; believing that whatever we drive deep into consciousness, that we become. Meditation might be to purposely move your attention over your body part by part, checking for perceptions, being aware and one with them, and moving on, or meditation might be an attention focused on breathing. Meditation might be a mental fasting. for just as physical fasting purifies the essences of the body by withdrawing all external input of food, so the 'mental fasting' of meditation purifies the mind and restores the spirit's primal powers by withdrawing all distracting thoughts and disturbing emotions from the mind.
In spite of its rich history and traditions, it is only during the past three decades that scientific study has focused on the clinical effects of meditation on health. Some studies have found that regular meditation can reduce health care use; increases longevity and quality of life; alleviate suffering promote healing, and reduces chronic pain. It is a therapy for insomnia, migraine, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, substance dependence and abuse, ulcers, colitis, chronic pain, psoriasis, and dysthymic disorder. It is considered to be a valuable adjunctive therapy for moderate hypertension (high blood pressure), reduces serum cholesterol level, improve exercise performance in people with angina, prevention of cardiac arrest (heart attack), prevention of atherosclerosis (hardening of arteries), arthritis (including fibromyalgia), cancer, help people with asthma breathe easier, relieve insomnia, increases intelligence-related measures; reduces post-traumatic stress syndrome in Vietnam veterans; and lowers blood cortisol levels initially brought on by stress. Meditation may also be a valuable complementary therapy for allergies and asthma because of the role stress plays in these conditions. Meditative practices have been reported to improve function or reduce symptoms in patients with some neurological disorders as well. These include people with Parkinson's disease, people who experience fatigue with multiple sclerosis, and people with epilepsy who are resistant to standard treatment. The parasympathetic system, activated when we meditate, decreases muscle tension , and for some extraordinary practitioners, even temperature and basal metabolism rates drop during a prolonged meditation. Oxygen needs of the body are reduced when you are in a highly relaxed state, and brain waves change from the busy beta-waves to the blissful alpha waves. Many people also report that they experience more enjoyment and appreciation of life and that their relationships with others are improved. One may experience emotional stability, one may gain greater insight and understanding about one's thoughts, feelings, and actions. This insight in turn offers the possibility to feel more confident and in control of life. Meditation facilitates a greater sense of calmness, empathy, and acceptance of self and others. Meditation can be used with other forms of medical treatment and is an important complementary therapy. Click here to go to the next Therapy page Click to go back, to the list of alternative medicine therapies page Click here to bypass, and go immediately to the Doctor of Naturopathy help for you, or to read how Naturopathy can help. This website developed by www.designersofwebs.com | |
