When most people think of meditation, they simply think of monks that live in caves or monasteries, spending their time sitting cross-legged on the floor. Many people don't realize all the benefits of meditation and don't take the time to try it for themselves.
The truth is, meditation isn't just for monks and gurus. Anyone can experience and enjoy the benefits of meditation. Spiritual and non-spiritual people alike have used meditation for thousands of years to help them achieve goals, feel less stressed, and experience more vibrant health.
Stress reduction is one of the most commonly known benefits of meditation. Just the very act of clearing your mind and finding a quiet place to meditate will work wonders to reduce your stress levels. Better still, the feelings of tranquility you will experience can be felt long past the time that you spent meditating - every day will flow with a renewed sense of purpose and serenity.
The reduction in your stress level opens the door for many of the other benefits of meditation. First, when you reduce your levels of stress you will be able to think much more clearly and complete your daily tasks with relative ease. This will give you more freedom to do the things you truly enjoy doing and will help to limit your amount of stress even further.
Second, when you feel stress and anxiety, your body releases cortisol, a dangerous chemical that is linked to a lot of maladies, including cancer, diabetes, and strokes. Through meditation, you can decrease the cortisol levels in your body, helping you to avoid difficult and potentially life-threatening diseases.
Third, enhanced sleep is a byproduct of stress reduction, making it one of the key benefits of meditation. Most of us spend our days so stressed out that when it comes time to sleep; we are unable to shut down our thoughts. Unfortunately because of this, the deep sleep we need for our mental, physical and emotional healing doesn't happen. If you are consistent in your meditation practices you will get a better nights sleep, wake up refreshed and have much more energy throughout the day.
Aside from stress reduction, one of the premier benefits of meditation is the ability to get rid of the “monkey mind”, the useless chatter that goes on in most people's minds. Have you ever noticed how your mind becomes cluttered with worries, irrelevant thoughts, and negativity, even when you are trying to focus on an important task? This is what they call the "monkey mind", and not many people are even aware that it really exists. A regular meditation session helps you to quiet the "monkey mind" to help you focus and reach your goals more efficiently.
Although the concept of meditation can be rather difficult for a lot of people to learn, especially if they see their stress and mind chatter as just a “way of life”, the benefits of meditation are well worth your effort. Regardless of whether you only meditate for ten minutes a day, you will still get some great benefits that can completely change your life!
