The urge to be happy and satisfied with life is the common urge in all human beings. From an infant to a grown male, everyone seeks comfort and peace. The challenge here is to find the happiness that lasts and does not come at a price. Most people think that happiness is all about purity and clarity of thoughts. You cannot be happy if you are not thinking clearly, you cannot be happy. People say that medication can help you to clear your mind and thoughts and can you lead to the right direction in your life. What is meditation and how it affects human life? We are going to explore all aspects of meditation that matter. In this article we are going to speak about the proven benefit of meditation.

What is Meditation?

Meditation is the practice of achieving a state of deep focus and concentration, usually through focused attention or relaxation. We can describe meditation as a moment-to-moment non-judgmental awareness of thoughts, emotions, and sensations.

Meditation has been practiced for thousands of years in various cultures around the world where it is often used as a religious practice. It has large effects on health and can change brain structure in several positive ways by influencing levels of certain neurotransmitters such as dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, endorphins (the body’s natural pain relief chemicals), oxytocin (a hormone released during childbirth), and others.

By meditating you can also have many mental benefits such as reducing stress and anxiety, increasing focus and concentration, improving memory and mood, reducing blood pressure by lowering heart rate.

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Proven Benefits of Meditation

Mainly, the benefit of meditation is to worry less. Meditation has long been considered an ancient art form benefit for human beings and for achieving a state of serenity and peace, and it has only recently caught the attention of Western science. With so many studies in recent years supporting the health benefits of meditation, it is no wonder that the practice is quickly spreading across cultures.

Some of these benefits are physical, such as lowering blood pressure and reducing stress hormones; others are mental, such as increasing creativity; yet others are emotional like a lessening sense of anxiety or worry. Here are some other proven benefits of meditation:

1. Improved Concentration and Focus

Meditation not only helps you become more relaxed, but it also helps your mind become more focused and attentive. You can better focus on the task at hand, are less likely to fritter away your day thinking about things that really don’t matter, and can concentrate more deeply on any task at hand.

This has been shown in controlled laboratory studies where participants were instructed to meditate for 90 minutes each day for a week. After this time period, they were able to concentrate for a longer duration than they could before meditation, indicating that their mind became more focused and on-task as a result of the practice.

2. A more positive outlook on life

Those who meditate regularly have a greater sense of well-being and happiness. This in turn makes them less likely to suffer from anxiety and depression. These people were able to shift their attention away from negative thoughts and feelings, thus reducing the negative impacts those thoughts had on their lives.

3. Improved Circulation

Mindfulness meditation has been shown to improve blood flow within the brain, particularly in older adults. This may be one of the reasons meditation helps with concentration and focus—better circulation can lead to improved mental clarity. Better circulation also improves oxygenation of your cells, which leads to stronger muscles, bones, and skin; fewer illnesses; and overall improved health.

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4. A reduction in depression

Mindfulness meditation can decrease the stress hormone cortisol, which in turn decreases your risk of depression. Because you become more attuned to daily stresses, and therefore not as overwhelmed by them, you are better able to manage stress from day to day. You are also more likely to find a way to release your stress and oftentimes, mindfulness meditation helps with that.

5. Reduced anxiety and worry

Meditation can help you take a step back and see things more clearly, which helps reduce anxiety and worry because things aren’t so urgent or critical to you anymore. There is less mental clutter in your mind when you meditate as well, which may prevent these negative feelings from creeping over into your life.

6. Better sleep

Those who practice mindfulness meditation often experience better sleep, and reduced insomnia. Sleep is a necessary part of any recharging of the mind and body, so being able to shut things off at night and get the rest you need is essential for overall health and well-being.

7. Greater creativity

It’s no secret that taking time out to meditate can make you more creative (and by taking out time, I mean making room in your schedule to do it). When your mind is less cluttered with stress, anxiety, or worry, you are better able to think outside the box—literally! There is less mental clutter in your mind when you meditate as well.

8. Increased presence

Other main benefit of meditation is that you feel more present. The practice of mindfulness meditation has been shown to help people not only calm themselves down but also increase their presence at the moment. When you are present in the now, it’s easier to think more clearly and be more mindful of your surroundings and your actions.

9. Less self-judgment and judgmental behaviour

Meditation helps us see things objectively, rather than from a clouded mind or a foggy view of reality that we might project onto situations when we are upset, angry, stressed out, or anxious about something. This helps us become less judgmental and more accepting of ourselves as well as others.

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Mindfulness and Meditation

Mindfulness is simply being aware of thoughts, emotions, surroundings, and body sensations without judgment. It was first described in the Buddhist tradition as “the awareness that arises through paying attention on purpose in the present moment.

There are many methods to practice mindfulness ranging from guided audio meditations to practicing while walking or eating or sleeping.