How Meditation Can Improve Your Mental Health

What is meditation?

Meditation is the practice of focusing one's mind for a period of time and not engaging with thoughts. It is a method of relaxation and a form of additional treatment for the mind and body. During meditation, you focus your attention and free your mind of cluttered ideas that may overwhelm your thoughts and produce tension.

Common types of meditation are:

• Mindfulness meditation

Pay attention to and note your thoughts. This practice combines focus and awareness and is ideal for people who do not have a teacher to instruct them because it can be done at home.

• Spiritual meditation

The emphasis is on deepening one's knowledge of spiritual/religious meaning and connecting with a higher force. This practice is good for anyone seeking spiritual growth and a closer relationship with a higher power or spiritual force. It can be done at home or in a house of worship.

• Yoga meditation

When you move, pay attention to your thoughts and your body.

• Mantra Meditation

A repeating sound is used in this style of meditation to calm the mind. It can be a word, phrase, or sound, with "om" being the most prevalent. This is a fantastic exercise for folks who dislike stillness and prefer repetition.

• Focused Meditation

Concentration utilising any of the five senses is required for focused meditation. It might be difficult for beginners since it demands a lot of concentration.

• Loving-kindness meditation

It entails allowing the mind to be open to receiving love from others and then sending good wishes to loved ones, friends, acquaintances, and all living beings. It is used to increase sentiments of compassion, love, and acceptance towards oneself and others, and it is especially beneficial for those who are angry or resentful.

• Transcendental meditation

It is best taught by a qualified transcendental meditation practitioner and involves the use of mantras.

• Visual meditation

A strategy for increasing emotions of relaxation, tranquilly, and calmness through the visualisation of good sceneries, pictures, or characters. This exercise is vividly picturing a situation and utilising all five senses to add as much information as possible. Many individuals use visualisation meditation to improve their mood, relieve stress, and create inner peace.

What happens to your brain when you meditate?

Meditation has the power to alter the structure and functioning of the brain. It has an immediate impact on muscular control and sensory perception, which includes emotions, recollection, language, vision, hearing, and judgement. Meditation can also aid in the relaxation of your sympathetic nerves, the nervous system responsible for the body's "fight-or-flight" response.

Mental health benefits of meditation

It can take up to 8 weeks for your brain to start seeing and feeling the benefits of meditating.

When it comes to mental strength, science backs the positive effects of meditation. According to one research study, 30 days of Headspace meditation resulted in an 11% boost in mental resilience. Another study found that utilising Headspace for 30 days lowered stress by one-third.

The mental health benefits of meditating include but are not limited to:

• improved focus

• enhanced emotional regulation and control

• better decision making

• reduced stress

• lower blood pressure

• reduced anxiety

• improved self-awareness

• improved ability to multitask

• a stronger immune system

How to meditate

No such thing as perfect mediation exists. It is not an exact science and can take numerous shapes and forms. It might be as simple as deep breathing or as complicated as chanting a mantra.

It's normal for your thoughts to wander and become distracted from time to time. The most essential thing is to stay focused and not give up. Meditation is something everyone can do! Follow these three steps and give it a go:

Step One: Take a seat or lie down

Meditation should be performed in a quiet place. Choose a location that is pleasant, peaceful, and quiet, and make sure you are comfortable and in a position, you're able to stay in for a while.

Step Two: Set a time limit

Before you begin, you should establish how long you intend to meditate. Find a method to track time without being sidetracked - scheduling an alarm to notify you when time is up is a fantastic way to accomplish this. Beginners should start with 5-10 minutes and gradually increase the amount of time to 30.

Step Three: Focus on and feel your breathing

Shut your eyes and take a deep breath. Follow the sensations of your breath as it enters and exits your body. Be certain that you are not making a conscious attempt to alter your breathing patterns. (Meditation may be done with your eyes open or closed, but for novices or those who are easily distracted, it is recommended to close them).