Do you often get bogged down by stress, anxiety, depression and get overwhelmed by various negative emotions? It’s time you take up meditation- both as a hobby and practice.

Meditation, perhaps the most ancient technique ever designed by our greatest spiritual gurus is a sense of thoughtless awareness and a well-defined path to find inner peace!

Meditation helps us in experiencing that quintessential peace at a soul level even while eliminating negative thoughts, worries and all those issues hindering our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual happiness.

How to Meditate:

You don’t have to sit in an isolated place, on the top of a hill or under a tree in the forest to meditate. One can get into meditation mode effortlessly to recharge your batteries and calm down your mind.

1. Sit with your straight back. Be alert and conscious for your sense of awareness to be heightened.

2. Do not eat or eat very little before meditating. A heavy meal can make you feel lazy and sleepy.

3. You do not have to sit ‘Padmasana’ or lotus position to meditate. You can still meditate by sitting in a chair.

4. It is advised to meditate early in the morning or just during the sunset. If timings do not agree with your schedule, make your own timetable and stick do that.

5. Most importantly, do not get discouraged by those thoughts interfering with your mind. Focus on one point and try clearing the clutter slowly from the mind. With practice, it is easy to tame those thoughts and focus on a single thing. 

Why To Meditate: 

Reduces Stress: Meditation reduces stress. Stress, be it physical or mental increases the levels of Cortisol, the stress hormone which in turn releases inflammation promoting chemicals like Cytokines.

These chemicals disrupt sleep patterns, increase blood pressure and cause severe fatigue. 

To Feel Less Bothered: If you are one of those picking up on petty things and get bothered all the time, meditation comes to your rescue. Sitting quietly without any thought process for some time helps us in detaching from unruly, unwarranted issues and stop brain from magnifying meaningless things.

Treats Insomnia: Meditation helps you relax and can help with sleep related issues. According to several studies, meditation benefits those suffering from chronic insomnia. Researches have shown that insomniacs who meditated regularly for 8 weeks felt more relaxed before going to bed and could catch sound sleep.

Heal Faster: Meditation helps in healing faster and you heard it right! Researchers in the US, working on meditation techniques and its positive effects were surprised to find patients complained of less pain and more happiness after participating in a four-day-long meditation session. And MRIs’ taken for the patients during meditation have shown reduction in pain-induced cerebral blood flow.

Find Your Path: Meditation helps in calming down and not to bother about either past or future. This in turn aids in finding a clear path for success and growth. A study at Harvard Medical School demonstrated that meditation causes positive changes in brain’s functionality and lead us in finding success everywhere!