Table of ContentsBrief Overview of MeditationWhy Should We Meditate?Benefits of MeditationHow Does Meditation Help Us Overcome Anxiety?Posture and BreathingHow to Engage in a Daily Meditation Practice?Three Main Types of MeditationFocusOpen/WitnessingContemplation/Internal PrayerConcentration (Zazen)MindfulnessContemplative PrayerWe were born to worry - and run - according to Springsteen's 1975 hit song. We should not therefore not feel guilty for practicing something that is in our nature/innate in us. However, worrying does not leave us unharmed and can even affect our physical and mental health. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essayOne of the most common disorders Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) affects approximately 6.8 million American adults annually, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. (ADAA) latest estimates. What hits us when trying to overcome anxiety first is usually prescription anti-anxiety medications such as Prozac, Paxil, or Xanax, and the second option is often expensive therapy sessions. The former have serious withdrawal symptoms on your mental and physical health and the latter are extremely expensive and can take a long time. Meditation in its various forms, on the other hand, has proven effective in relieving anxiety and controlling thoughts. . In this article, we will provide a comprehensive guide to common meditation practices, the purpose and benefits of meditation, as well as breathing and posture tips and techniques. Brief Overview of Meditation The earliest literature on meditation deals with Hindu traditions (Vedantism) and forms of meditation from ancient India around 1500 BCE. After ancient India, new forms of meditation (Dhyana) developed in China and India between the 6th and 5th centuries BCE. The roots of Buddhist meditation go as far back as 1st century BCE records in the sutras of the Pali Canon, although the exact origin remains. debatable among researchers. The records emphasize a key combination of salvation through adherence to the rules of morality, contemplative concentration, knowledge and liberation. These founding elements opened the path to salvation, inspired an enlightened wisdom pointing towards Zen. Around 20 BCE, Philo of Alexandria also composed a form of spiritual exercises including attention and concentration, he was later followed by Plotinus. Saint Augustine had tried to experiment with Plotinus' methods of meditation, but they did not prove useful. Plotinus' techniques also failed to attract Christian followers. Other clerics had early meditative practices, for example the Sufi Muslim's Muraqaba meditation. Muraqaba literally translates to “Watch over” in Arabic, circa 1630. Another form of Sufi meditation is Dhikr or remembering God through the repetition of words. Dhikr was systematized in Sufism in the 11th and 12th centuries. Jewish meditation also grew and changed in the Middle Ages, practices were included in prayer, their 613 commandments or mizvot, and study. (Kabbalistic and philosophical practices/techniques). In Eastern Christian meditation, a practice of repeating words or phrases in a particular physical posture is used. They may also include repeating the Jesus Prayer. On the contrary, Western Christian meditation highlights “Lectio Divina”or divine reading. Reading, reflection, prayer and contemplation progressed thanks to the Benedictine monks. Why should we meditate? The main goal of meditation is to explore one's mind and even go far beyond our basic thinking. Meditation aims to expose you to your essential nature and allow you to return to a state of peace and happiness whenever you need it. Meditation is not something that schools feed us as students, rather a practice that we learn ourselves in order to discipline our mind, to relax. our body and just breathe. We are rarely taught how to reach the very center of our consciousness, however beneficial the technique may be to our well-being. Meditation allows us to rest our mind while maintaining a state of total awareness. Meditation greatly contributes to the relief of anxiety as well as the reduction of various mental disorders, including social anxiety, depression, panic attacks, attention deficit and eating or eating disorders. hyperactivity. . In fact, according to Madhav Goyal (2014), anxiety was the most common reason people practice meditation. Benefits of Meditation Meditation has many health benefits, including improved blood circulation, increased volumes in areas responsible for emotion regulation and self-control, decreased blood cortisol. and lower heart rate, increased cortical thickness in areas responsible for attention, less sweating, less anxiety, slower breathing rate, less stress, improved well-being and deep relaxation. Practicing meditation regularly also improves your ability to concentrate, multitask, and even your ability to work, think creatively, and retain information. According to this JAMA Internal Medicine study, “meditation programs can reduce the negative dimensions of psychological stress. Mindfulness meditation programs, in particular, show small improvements in anxiety, depression, and pain with moderate evidence and small improvements in stress/distress and the mental health component of quality of life health-related with weak evidence compared to non-specific active controls. Meditation not only improves your overall health and well-being, it also gives a major boost to your social life. While the practice itself builds solidarity, meditation allows you to become more compassionate and socially connected to others, it increases emotional intelligence and decreases feelings of loneliness. Meditative practices help us stay on top of our busy daily lives. It allows us to take control, in the way we know how. Meditation encourages us to become wiser, more patient to take on all our problems and resolve them in every possible way. There is no way to completely control our thoughts and our mind, but with meditation we learn to not let negative thoughts and emotions take the wheel? How does meditation help us overcome anxiety? According to the Cleveland Clinic, “Anxiety disorders affect approximately 40 million people. Adult Americans. These are the most common mental illnesses in the United States. Most anxiety disorders begin during childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood. They occur more often in women than in men. » Simply put, meditative practices allow us to begin to break thought patternsnegative, overthinking, constant worrying and stress. Although there is no specific reason behind anxiety, studies show that it can be caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain, develop as a result of a certain trauma, or be inherited from parents, just like eye color. Maintaining a meditation routine will increase worry and stress. trends, help you overcome mood disorders, and even reduce inflammation and pro-inflammatory genes. Posture and Breathing There are several types of postures that vary in effectiveness and physical strength requirements, such as quarter lotus, half lotus, full lotus, Burmese position, seiza position and chair position. The basic points to cover when trying to maintain perfect posture as a beginner are: Sit comfortably on a cushion or chair with your back straightened. Try to maintain an upright posture that will allow you to concentrate deeply on the flow of your breath. Keeping an elongated spine is an integral part of this practice. Don't worry about the position of your legs. Many beginners remain concerned about the “perfect” leg position, similar to what they see in photos. However, what matters most is to keep them comfortable in every way possible, whether you want to extend them or cross them. Just like your leg position, there is no manual preference, so don't worry about your hands. It is important to keep them in a comfortable position. Many people like to keep their hands resting on their knees or at their sides. Relax your shoulders and establish a strong back while keeping an open front body. You can push your shoulders back slightly if that feels more comfortable. Keeping your eyes open or closed is a personal preference. So feel free to open or close them whenever you want. Try to keep your chin tilted as if you are looking down to make breathing easier and keep your chest open. Focus on breathing in and out through your nose. Do not breathe with your mouth. Make sure your facial muscles are all relaxed and direct your energy and attention to each breath you take. Avoid getting carried away by surrounding distractions like the color of the wall paint or the tile covering. Allow yourself to relax and surrender to the flow of your breath. Focusing on your breathing can be a lot of fun. Some people prefer to observe their nasal movements or the contraction and expansion of their lungs, others like to listen to the sound of each breath. There is no perfect way to do this, just like meditation itself, just focus on staying as comfortable as possible. Bring your attention back after each passing thought. A common mistake beginners often make is confusing having a “fleeting thought” with failure in the meditation session. It is very likely that your mind will wander during meditation. At this point, it is essential to refocus and bring your attention back to your breathing. A great method that I have personally found beneficial is to label all your thoughts as “minor thoughts” that in no way affect your current solitude or disrupt your meditative state. How to engage in a daily meditation practice? First, start small. Don't force yourself to participate in 45 or 60 minute meditation sessions. Meditation is very flexible and you can observe the results quite easily. Start with 3 to 5 minutes of meditation where you focus only.”