A leading-edge research firm focused on digital transformation. Women's Health. Primary Care. Mental Health. More Button Icon Circle with three vertical dots. It indicates a way to see more nav menu items inside the site menu by triggering the side menu to open and close. Erin Heger. The benefits of meditation are extensive — and backed by science.
The mental health benefits of meditation include better focus and concentration, improved self-awareness and self-esteem, lower levels of stress and anxiety, and fostering kindness. Meditation also has benefits for your physical health, as it can improve your tolerance for pain and help fight substance addiction. This article was medically reviewed by David A. This story is part of Insider's guide on How to Meditate.
Erin Heger is a freelance journalist located in the Kansas City area. She primarily covers stories related to healthcare policy, maternal mental health, parenting, and personal finance.
Her work been featured in The Atlantic, Rewire. The goal is to release your thoughts and maintain or refocus your attention on that point, preventing your mind from wandering. Meditation does not always involve quietly sitting still. Slow, repetitive movements, such as through yoga and tai chi, that focus on your breath can be equally effective in relaxing your mind and body. Simply saving a few minutes per day has been proven to reduce distractions and increase focus.
This summer, students are invited to explore the power of mindfulness in an online program with Rajiah Williams Leong, Mindfulness Facilitator and Associate in the Enterprise Risk Management program. Learn more in the video below and sign up here. One of the easiest and most achievable stress-relieving techniques is meditation, a program in which you focus your attention inward to induce a state of deep relaxation.
Although the practice of meditation is thousands of years old, research on its health benefits is relatively new, but promising. A research review published in JAMA Internal Medicine in January found meditation helpful for relieving anxiety, pain, and depression. For depression, meditation was about as effective as an antidepressant.
Meditation is thought to work via its effects on the sympathetic nervous system, which increases heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure during times of stress.
Yet meditating has a spiritual purpose, too. Concentration meditation teaches you how to focus your mind. It's the foundation for other forms of meditation. Heart-centered meditation involves quieting the mind and bringing the awareness to the heart, an energy center in the middle of the chest.
Mindfulness meditation encourages you to focus objectively on negative thoughts as they move through your mind, so you can achieve a state of calm.
Tai chi and qigong are moving forms of meditation that combine physical exercise with breathing and focus. Transcendental Meditation is a well-known technique in which you repeat a mantra—a word, phrase, or sound—to quiet your thoughts and achieve greater awareness. Walking meditation turns your focus to both body and mind as you breathe in time with your footsteps.
Lennihan suggests trying different types of meditation classes to see which technique best suits you. Many meditation classes are free or inexpensive, which is a sign that the teacher is truly devoted to the practice. When your attention wanders, gently return your focus to your breathing. Scan your body. When using this technique, focus attention on different parts of your body.
Become aware of your body's various sensations, whether that's pain, tension, warmth or relaxation. Combine body scanning with breathing exercises and imagine breathing heat or relaxation into and out of different parts of your body. Walk and meditate. Combining a walk with meditation is an efficient and healthy way to relax. You can use this technique anywhere you're walking, such as in a tranquil forest, on a city sidewalk or at the mall.
When you use this method, slow down your walking pace so that you can focus on each movement of your legs or feet. Don't focus on a particular destination. Concentrate on your legs and feet, repeating action words in your mind such as "lifting," "moving" and "placing" as you lift each foot, move your leg forward and place your foot on the ground. Engage in prayer. Prayer is the best known and most widely practiced example of meditation.
Spoken and written prayers are found in most faith traditions. You can pray using your own words or read prayers written by others. Check the self-help section of your local bookstore for examples. Talk with your rabbi, priest, pastor or other spiritual leader about possible resources. Read and reflect. Many people report that they benefit from reading poems or sacred texts, and taking a few moments to quietly reflect on their meaning.
You can also listen to sacred music, spoken words, or any music you find relaxing or inspiring. You may want to write your reflections in a journal or discuss them with a friend or spiritual leader. Don't judge your meditation skills, which may only increase your stress. Meditation takes practice. Keep in mind, for instance, that it's common for your mind to wander during meditation, no matter how long you've been practicing meditation.
If you're meditating to calm your mind and your attention wanders, slowly return to the object, sensation or movement you're focusing on.
Experiment, and you'll likely find out what types of meditation work best for you and what you enjoy doing. Adapt meditation to your needs at the moment. Remember, there's no right way or wrong way to meditate. What matters is that meditation helps you reduce your stress and feel better overall. Stress, anxiety and a lack of sleep are problems that many people deal with every day.
But there is one simple practice that can help: meditation. Maria Caselli, a group fitness instructor at Mayo Clinic, says the benefits of just a few minutes of meditation a day can help, especially with stress. Meditation can also reduce the areas of anxiety, chronic pain, depression, heart disease and high blood pressure. There is decreased oxygen consumption, decreased carbon dioxide expired. The body is healing itself and starting repair. There is a problem with information submitted for this request.
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