Benefits of Meditation
What are the benefits of daily meditation? Why would meditating regularly, every day, be beneficial?
Some of the benefits of daily meditation include decreased stress, anxiety, depression, and insomnia, clarity of thought, lower blood pressure, heightened creativity, innovative thinking, focus, productivity, insight, an ability to regulate emotional responses, calmer state of mind plus it has been known to change your brain waves to increase overall brain functionality.
For me, as a mother, I use meditation as a tool to calm my nervous system, boost my immune system, increase energy, get better sleep and tap into my intuition or ability to make clear and conscious decisions.
Meditating regularly, every day is beneficial because our lives are constantly changing. You can view meditation as an opportunity to take a little mini retreat to release mental stress and become present. When we are present, we are more centered, grounded, content and focused. With a heightened state of awareness, we are better equipped to make rational decisions and live our lives to the fullest. If you are new to meditation then you might find the practice challenging in the beginning but with a regular, daily practice it becomes easier. You do not need to meditate for very long to see results; you can reap the benefits with a 5-10 minute meditation every day.
How can meditating with your significant other be beneficial for your relationship?
Meditating with your significant other can help to increase intimacy, resolve conflict, heighten your bond, lower stress levels, increase empathy and understanding, and improve your communication skills.
My husband and I meditate together regularly. We use it as a tool to transition between work and home life and release any thoughts that are inhibiting us from being present with one another.
Meditation can help to improve intimacy in your relationship, as it has been known to increase levels of dopamine in the brain, the chemical that regulates drive, pleasure and focus. It also helps to alleviate any stress or tension in the mind and body, which allows you to become more open and receptive to your partner. It also increases your level of awareness so you can communicate your needs. When we are present we are more available for authentic connection.
How can meditation help you to set intentions or be more intentional about what you’re doing throughout the day?
Meditation can help you gain perspective. With perspective, you are able to eliminate distractions and focus on the things, projects and people that mean the most to you. It allows you to ‘’de-clutter’ the mind so you can set intentions. If your mind is already full, then you do not leave any room for innovative, creative thinking. From an open state of consciousness, you can start to set intentions and live your life accordingly to co-create that reality.
For example, as a mom, I am constantly strapped for time. A regular meditation practice helps me to focus on my daughter and be present with her while I am in her care, focus on a project with my full attention so I can complete it faster, and eliminate distractions that are stealing valuable time, energy and resources so I do not feel drained at the end of the day.
In other words, meditation will help you to look at your life from a birds eye view, focus on the things that mean the most to you, and say no to everything else so you can live your life intentionally.
How can meditation help with mental health?
Meditation can help with mental health by helping us live in a more present, open, and conscious state. It allows us to sit with our thoughts, return to the present moment and make changes to improve our mental health. They say your thoughts create your reality. As you become aware of your thoughts, you can start to change reoccurring thought patterns and co-create the life you want to live. It has been proven that meditation actually changes the brain to improve overall brain functionality. It does this by shrinking the amgydala, the area of the brain associated with your fight or flight response, and increasing the pre-frontal cortex which is associated with concentration and awareness. Over time, it has been shown to also increase the level of grey matter in the brain, which is associated with self-control, compassion, and regulating bodily functions.
Can meditating help you to think more clearly about problems, rather than reacting with anger or anxiety?
Yes, meditation can help you think clearly about problems, rather than react from anger or anxiety. Meditation helps you to become more conscious and aware of your automatic responses. With more awareness, you are able to pause and choose a new response. For example, if you handle problems by reacting from fear or anxiety then you may withdraw and hold resentments rather than communicate your concerns and discuss potential solutions. Meditation can help you to become aware of this automatic response and choose a new course of action. Not to say that the emotions of anger and anxiety are not important or valid, they are part of the human experience, but you are able to consciously choose your response and perhaps clear the emotion before interacting with the person or problem.
Meditation helps to put you in the driver seat of your life, in every aspect of your life, by increasing consciousness and awareness.