Topics covered in Healing Through Meditation

• What is healing through meditation?
• Understanding how it works
• The preparation process
• Exploring your inner self with meditation
• Healing your mind through meditation
• Healing your body through meditation
• Using different styles of meditative healing
• Benefits of meditation for healing

INTRODUCTION
“A University of Wisconsin, Madison study reported in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine shows that meditation not only has clear effects in areas of the brain focused on emotion, but it also may strengthen the ability of a person to ward off illness. Measurement of brain electrical activity showed the meditation group had increased activation in the left, frontal region of their brains – an area linked to reduced anxiety and a positive emotional state.
Cardiologist Herbert Benson, MD, has spent the last 30 years studying the effects of meditation and is founder of the Mind/Body Medical Institute at Harvard Medical School’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He tells WebMD that the study offers further evidence that meditation produces measurable benefits. The key is repetition, but the repetition can be a word, sound, mantra, prayer, breathing or movement.”

Meditation is an ancient practice that has recently gained a lot of interest and attention because of its proven extensive healing powers. Practiced more widely in the Asian regions, it is fast gaining popularity in the United States as people begin to understand its healing potential.

Those who have ventured into meditation for healing purposes have attested to feeling more alert, experiencing dramatic improvements in everyday cognitive abilities and being able to focus on other elements that help to bring pain under control and many other noticeable benefits.

Understanding healing through meditation in depth and exploring the various different meditation styles will help you achieve a better and more complete chance of healing both mentally and physically. Meditation helps you to connect more deeply with your own inner self, which in turn starts the healing process at a very basic and fundamental level. This non-invasive style allows you to explore the possibility of complete healing, using what nature intended for you.

Various meditation methods are currently being practiced all over the United States, as more people begin to understand and accept its traditional methodology, which is revolutionizing the healing process. The different meditation styles contribute positively to the overall mental and physical well being of an individual through extremely beneficial brainwave movements which produce positive energy. This helps to create a more enhanced feeling of peace, happiness and an overall sense of well-being, thus contributing to the start of the healing process.

As more research is being done on the benefits of meditation for healing, some sources describe this methodology as a mindfulness that allows the individual to experience a state of nonjudgmental awareness. There are many reasons why meditation can be used as a positive tool for healing, and this report will help you explore and become more aware of some of these benefits.

Being able to explore the opportunity to overcome a particular condition through meditation is perhaps the best option you could explore, especially if medical science has not been able to provide you with the healing results you are seeking. You have nothing to lose but a lot to gain.

1. What is Healing Through Meditation?

A renounced notable in the healing through meditation phenomenon, Sri Sri Ravi Shanker once said “In meditation, healing can happen. When the mind is calm, alert and totally contented, then it is like a laser beam – it is very powerful and healing can happen”.

So, how exactly does healing through meditation work? Basically, it is a state of health that is made perfect through the individual’s ability to remain mentally focused, calm and emotionally stable. There are several different styles within the meditation practices that allow an individual to attain such a phase. Being able to reach a clearer level of consciousness through the process of connecting with one’s inner self is what it is all about.

The vital energy, which is known by many names, is the most basic element that creates the health and well-being of both your body and mind. Therefore, the whole idea of meditation is to try to attain this level of oneness so that both body and mind can work together to achieve optimal positive energy.

Many people turn to healing through meditation as a way to heal because it is believed that the root of an illness is first created in the mind or consciousness, therefore by addressing this first, a lot of the negativity can be reversed. Illnesses usually come about because of lifestyle practices, which include an improper diet and the lack of an exercise plan, stress from work or personal circumstances, the inability to release the past and many other negatives that people bring upon themselves either consciously or subconsciously.

Health and illness are all part of the natural cycle of life and using meditation to relieve elements such as stress, worries, and anxieties can give you a better chance of avoiding such negative accumulation in your body. If you can use meditation to control your mind’s input and turn negativity into positive vibes, then this will have a huge impact on any illness within your body. The healing process will have a higher and faster chance of attaining complete and successful results.

Worrying about your illness is thought to make it even more difficult for the mind to overcome the body’s destructive condition. With meditation, the mind and body work together to bring about healing. Therefore, healing using meditation is something everyone is encouraged to try. However, in order to benefit completely from this form of healing you need to first understand the fundamentals involved, and only by doing so, will you be able to reap its holistic healing powers.

Meditation allows the body and mind to function with less conflict, thus creating an overall calming phase of both entities. When the human body and mind work together in this positive manner a higher level of negativity can be expunged, thus, leaving you with a better and more complete chance of healing. Healing through meditation also does not require a lot of money or energy. It simply requires the body and mind to connect to form a free and flowing positive entity.

“While some people are apprehensive that meditation may conflict with their beliefs, the usual experience is that it leads to a heightened appreciation of their particular religious leanings and a greater level of personal joy” – Ian Gawler

2. Understanding how Healing through meditation works

“Maintain your physical, emotional, and spiritual harmony with the universe by meditating every day. Inhale the precious breath of life. It is your connection to your Higher power.” Louise Hay
Although there are many different types of meditation styles, they all share the same basic direction. This is to calm the mind, so that an individual can experience various levels of awareness from within. The fundamental reason for practicing meditation for most is to be able to achieve this level of peace and oneness. This can only be done if your mind is not busy, working at full speed.

Even in sleep, the human mind may not really have a chance to completely relax and “stop working”. Many people experience different levels of deep sleep or very little complete deep sleep, because they are unable to calm the mind long enough to reach this plateau. Meditation is introduced to help quite the mind so that even simple things like giving the body complete rest through sleep can be achieved.

The human mind is the door to the inner world of thoughts, feelings and the way we process information. When there is too much “clutter” within this process, the mind becomes overloaded and complications such a sickness, fatigue, stress and all other negatives begin to set in. The way we process these feelings and thoughts eventually influences the way we function on a daily basis. If we are unable to correct its erratic pattern then “burnouts” are the likely result.

In the ongoing dialogue we have with our minds, several different things are being sorted out at the same time. The mind has to define, categorize and denote information it is being fed at tremendously fast speeds, thus giving the mind little time to rest and rejuvenate itself. Some of these sessions even lead to us reacting negatively or without control, and the resulting consequences usually leads to the negative build ups within the body’s system.

Unfortunately, most people are so used to only depending on or accepting this level of consciousness as normal that there is no real need to explore the possibility of being able to seek a higher form of awareness to help deal with how the mind processes information. This is where meditation can be introduced to play a significantly positive role in the cycle.
Through the art of meditation, we are introduced to the possibility of allowing the brain to connect more directly with experiences and to understand that we are more than just processing and reacting subjects. Meditation allows the individual to learn how to achieve a state of consciousness that sieves through the onslaught of information in a quieter and more manageable manner.

With practiced meditation techniques, a regulating effect on the body and mind can be successfully attained. This brings about a level of balance that significantly reduces the stress, tension and other negative effects previously caused by the uncontrolled, erratic mind. This positive effect then helps to give the individual better clarity of thought, alertness, improved moods, an improved digestive system, better sleep and better pain control. Meditation is often noted as a positive way to help you release you hold on the mind’s ordinary processing methods.

3. The preparation process

“Every moment there is a possibility to be total. Whatsoever you are doing, be absorbed in it so utterly that the mind thinks nothing, is just there, is just a presence. And more and more totality will be coming. And the taste of totality will make you more and more capable of being total. And try to see when you are not total. Those are the moments which have to be dropped slowly, slowly. When you are not total, whenever you are in the head–thinking, brooding, calculating, cunning, clever–you are not total. Slowly, slowly slip out of those moments. It is just an old habit. Habits die hard. But they die certainly–if one persists, they die. –Osho”

As mentioned before, various different meditation styles can be successfully used. All of them usually seek to cultivate an individual’s personal inner energy, to help the body and mind to work together to garner positive vibes.

Some meditation styles use the verbalizing of mantras to help keep the mind free from “clutter”, and center on the mantra being chanted. Other styles teach the individual to focus on breathing, and to help achieve a level of stillness of the mind. Still others use meditation, to connect with the body by heightening the mind’s ability to feel sensations in a more pronounced manner. There are also meditation exercises that help the individual relate to perception of inner sounds and light. Regardless of the methods eventually chosen the basis is still the same, as the individual attains that much sought after complete connection between body and mind.

During the meditative phase, the mind learns to “feel” more deeply the state of awareness that would otherwise have been overlooked because of the previously overactive mind. In this now quieted phase, the mind is able to focus on details that are in the background, in the silence and in the phase between the thoughts and information fed into the mind. Meditation also helps the mind quietly explore the plateau beyond the initial emotions felt, due to information received into the brain.

Meditation allows the mind to receive information, process it and then let it go without allowing these bits of information to overwhelm and distract. The healing through meditation process helps the individual return to a state of focus that is more complete and centered on allowing the body and mind to work in tandem. This process positively influences the whole body system so that a lesser amount of negativity is retained within the system.

By learning to successfully return to a plateau of peace and calmness, the meditation exercise helps to ensure the mind is brought back into focus. This helps the mind avoid succumbing to distractions easily. Through daily meditation sessions you will eventually be able to attain such a plateau without much effort, despite the onslaught of negativity around. Being able to direct the mind back, in this manner, will help the mind find peace more quickly and completely.

Meditation can also be described as the ability of separating one’s self into a phase that allows the mind to “look into the thought process” as a spectator rather than an active participant. This is a very important and positive ability to attain. It helps the individual make decisions that are less destructive because of the detached and neutral manner in which the mind is now able to function.

Your thoughts, feelings and reactive actions are now more controlled and perhaps more positive because of the way your mind is now functioning. It is almost as if an “outsider” is now watching, analyzing and making the decisions which are now likely more beneficial to both body and mind.

4. Exploring your inner self with meditation

“If a person’s basic state of mind is serene and calm, then it is possible for this inner peace to overwhelm a painful physical experience. On the other hand, if someone is suffering from depression, anxiety, or any form of emotional distress, then even if he or she happens to be enjoying physical comforts, he will not really be able to experience the happiness that these could bring. “–Dalai Lama
The human being is known to be an entity that is very difficult to satisfy. As humans, we are constantly looking to improve our situations, and never seem to be satisfied even when our quests are successfully attained. Exhausting our mental and physical capabilities does not seem to alert us to the damage we may be causing; until the negativity becomes evident through damaging medical conditions.

Though meditation is an ancient practiced art form, it is now being extensively pursued by many people in the United States as an avenue for being able to attain fulfillment without damaging body and mind in the process. The idea of being able to connect on a deeper level that is not only fulfilling but also less damaging to both body and mind, is something worth exploring in our fast paced and demanding world.

Through meditation, you are able to connect with your inner self and recapture some control over your life. Releasing any negative hold that the mind perceives on any given information it processes, while learning how to re-channel the energy that creates positive vibes, is what meditation is all about.

Many “blockages” create confusion within the mind. This in turn causes the body to be in conflict, but with the practice of meditation you will be able to minimize, if not totally eliminate, this phase. Your inner self has the power and energy to create a balance that brings only positive vibes into the equation. However, learning how to tap into this is something only meditation sessions can accomplish.

Healing through meditation gives the individual the tools to help extract any hidden talents and desires. The successful positive connection with your inner self will eventually be the important ingredient which helps to create harmony in both body and mind. Solutions brought forth by this now positive collaboration will help the body counter any negative medical conditions or help it heal.
The power exuded by being able to connect with your inner self through meditation exercises will allow you to explore happier and more basic mindsets. These may include the joys of getting back in touch with your dreams and happy moments. The strength that your inner self now has will also help you to release any negative emotions that previously clouded your life.

While exploring your inner self with meditation, you will also find that you are now able to better move from feelings of sadness to happiness or excitement because of the new strength you can now tap into. Learning things like how to reroute your negative energy that causes anger and disappointment will now be something you can easily achieve because of the inner strength the meditation practice has given you.

Being able to “close the door” on negativity and walk away from such situations without a lot of inner turmoil is another contribution meditation exercises can produce. Part of this process also allows you to gain an unshakeable amount of confidence so that you are able to let go of past fears, thus experience complete emotional freedom.

5. Healing your mind through meditation

“ Patricia Norris, Ph.D., Director of the Biofeedback and Psychophysiology Clinic at the Menninger Foundation, reports: “In our practice at Menninger we use meditative techniques to enhance immune functioning in cancer, AIDS, and autoimmune patients. We also use meditation in conjunction with neuro-feedback to normalize brain rhythms and chemistry in alcohol and drug addiction, as well as other addictive conditions. Almost all of our patients use meditative techniques in learning self-regulation for disorders such as anxiety and hypertension, and for stress management. We consider meditation a recommended practice for anyone seeking high-level wellness.” Source: 1stholistic.com/Meditation/hol_meditation_healing.htm
Understanding and acknowledging that everything starts with the mind is important before venturing to heal it with meditation. Negative thoughts such as jealousy, envy, anger and hatred are all very powerful emotions that can only bring our bodies to eventual destruction in the mind, if left unchecked to fester.

These destructive thought patterns contribute to wounding the mind. When the mind is not at peace, the body suffers the negative consequences. People are not willing or ready to lean on the mind to bring about healing naturally and commonly depend on outside forces or elements to heal.
A good example would be when a person is injured with a simple cut. The first thing he or she is likely to do would be to reach for a band-aid rather than tapping into the inner strength for healing. It seems almost ludicrous to think that the mind has the power to heal the injury but meditation has been proven to produce such phenomenal results.

Meditation can also be used to clear the mind of dark and destructive thought patterns and replace them with more positive and tranquil ones. This leaves the individual with a better chance of enjoying life without depression bouts. A famous quote about this type of healing process states that the mind has to slow down to a pace where we can learn to “listen” to our thoughts. “Before we can soothe our minds and heal our minds, we must begin to slow our lives down so we can hear our thoughts.”(Source: Valerie Mason-John in her book “Healing the minds wounds”)

When strong negative thought patterns consume the mind it causes toxin buildups within the sphere of the mind, which eventually spreads to the body. Several different exercises are practiced during meditation which helps to create a block on these negativities and replace them with positive vibes instead. It is possible to eradicate successfully or at the very least control the hold such negativity has on the body and mind.

Some of these exercises include learning to identify any negative feelings and thoughts and immediately following with a set of breathing patterns to help the mind cope and relax, so that the negativity does not gain a foothold in the mind. A point worth noting is that negative thoughts have a very direct impact on the human stomach functions, as it secretes stress hormones. This is why many people suffer from various types of stomach ailments when going through difficult phases in their life.

Meditation helps to protect the mind and redirect the focus away from dwelling on such negative and destructive patterns. The techniques used will help to turn these negativities into positive and healing patterns, thus creating an overall sense of calm and peace from within. The idea is to intensify the happiness, peace and joy so that any focus on pain or sadness is decreased significantly. When the mind is bombarded with such good elements, there is little space for it to conjure up or slide back into any level of depression. The good vibes also create better blood flow throughout the body.

6. Healing your body through meditation

“Meditative techniques are also a key element in the Arthritis self-help Course at Stanford University. More than 100,000 people with arthritis have taken the 12-hour course and learned meditation-style relaxation exercises as part of a comprehensive self-care program. Graduates report a 15 to 20 percent reduction in pain.
In one study overseen by Dr. Kabat-Zinn, 72 percent of the patients with chronic pain conditions achieved at least a 33 percent reduction after participating in an eight-week period of mindful meditation, while 61 -percent of the pain patients achieved at least a 50 percent reduction. Additionally, these people perceived their bodies as being 30 percent less problematic, suggesting an overall improvement in self-esteem and positive views regarding their bodies.
Meditation may not eliminate pain, but it helps people cope more effectively.”
Source: 1stholistic.com/Meditation/hol_meditation_healing.htm

With the popularity of healing through meditation gaining momentum in the United States, there is more information now available on the benefits this art form brings to the human body and mind. More people are exploring the art of meditation as an alternative method for healing.

There is a lot of research being done about the connection meditation has to being able to help an individual heal internally. The mind is an instrument that is rarely given the opportunity to pause and relax. This often causes tension and stress and the hormones released by such a bombardment of mental activity can translate to negative build-ups within the body system. This negativity is often found to be the main cause of poor health and eventual serious medical conditions.

By relaxing the mind and “teaching” it to cope in a better manner, the body will not have to be put under any unnecessary stress, thus leaving it healthier. These simple relaxation techniques, which are the basis of any meditation exercise, will focus on creating a peaceful and calm balance within the thinking process of the mind.
Four elements have to be in harmony for the human body and mind to flow into each other peacefully. These elements are often described as earth, water, fire and air. Modern medicine has helped us better understand the human body but the optimal connection it makes with the mind to create positive energy is still something western treatments are not able to achieve. The ancient art of meditation helps to keep disharmony at bay, so that emotional and physical diseases cannot take root within the body.

When the mind is “fed” with peaceful and happy thoughts, there are less chances of it succumbing to a state of turmoil when there are any hints of negativity from surrounding elements. Certain breathing techniques are also used during the meditation phase to help the blood flow well throughout the body, thus again giving the body optimal opportunity to function correctly.

Through meditation, the individual can learn many different ways to calm the mind so that it does not cause unwanted negativity to seep into the body system. Using this higher state of consciousness, the individual is better able to help the body combat any illness or disease.

There are also techniques taught within the sphere of meditation to help the individual isolate the negativity and turn it into positive vibes. This is also another way to ensure the body stays healthy and is less likely to be weakened by stress hormones or other toxins. The connection between the neurological functions and the positive results meditation can create is significant enough to attract a lot of scientific research into this area.

Healing through meditation does not help you to disregard the negative elements in your life. On the contrary, it teaches you how to face these elements in a dissociative manner so that you will not be overwhelmed by the negativity. Learning how to keep the mind focused and in a healing mode helps to enhance the whole healing process, thus easily creating heightened positive energy.

7. Using different styles of meditative healing

“ Dr. Ainslie Meares, an Australian psychiatrist who uses meditation with cancer patients, studied seventy-three patients who had attended at least twenty -sessions of intensive meditation, and wrote: “Nearly all such patients can expect significant reduction of anxiety and depression, together with much less discomfort and pain. There is reason to expect a 10 percent chance of quite remarkable slowing of the rate of growth of the tumor, and a 50 percent chance of greatly improved quality of life.”

There are many different types of meditation styles being used in the United States today. All the different meditation styles promote the garnering and enhancement of positive energy for better mental and physical health of an individual. However, extensive research into the field of meditation shows distinct styles, which are basic meditation, concentrative meditation and mindfulness meditation.

The basic meditation style can be done anywhere and at anytime, but can sometimes be harder to master even though it is supposed to be “basic”. This method of meditation requires the individual to allow thoughts and feelings to enter and exit the mind simultaneously. The strength in this style of mediation lies in the ability of the individual to stay disengaged from whatever is entering the mind. Not allowing the mind to start a dialogue with the thoughts and instead passively let them go can be mastered with constant practice.

Concentrative meditation is a meditation practice that requires the individual to focus on a thought, an object, a mantra, a sound or basically anything that is specifically chosen and precise. Here too, the basic idea is to train the mind to be so focused on the chosen element that nothing else is allowed in to disturb or distract the concentrative exercise. Concentrative meditation, when well mastered, will allow the individual to pass in and out of various different thoughts and bits of information without allowing the input into the mind to create any emotional negative connection. Hence the individual will be better able to face stressful situations in a more controlled and peaceful manner.

Mindfulness meditation is an advanced form of meditation that keeps the individual’s mind focused on the present. It is not easy to stop the mind from constantly changing focus according to the information it is being fed, but with mindfulness meditation the technique of concentrated focus is so heightened that the mind is able to exercise control in a more complete manner. This technique helps keep the mind in a peaceful state, thus giving the mind a more controlled ability to focus only on the present, instead of the past or the future.

Such meditation abilities are very beneficial to the body, as there are many diseases that occur simply because people are unable to let go of past negative experiences or are so overwhelmed with worrying about the future that there are a lot of negative build-ups within the body system. Besides the meditation styles noted here, there are also many other styles that are either unique in its methodology or are simply styles that came about through some minor deviations.

Purposely creating a state of mind that is “quieter” will contribute positively to a better chance of achieving success and joy in life, as negativity is kept at bay. There is no limit to the levels of connection that can be formed between the body and mind through meditation. With a certain amount of discipline and practice, anyone will be able to create effectively this optimal connection for the betterment of both body and mind.

8. Benefits of meditation for healing

Couples dealing with infertility may become depressed, anxious and angry. To help them cope, Alice D. Domar, Ph.D., a psychologist at the Mind/Body Medical Institute, taught the relaxation response to one group of infertile couples. Compared with a similar group of infertile couples who did not learn deep relaxation, the mediators experienced less distress-and were more likely to get pregnant.

The benefits of healing through meditation can bring to the body and mind are so vast and varied that people are often astounded once they become aware of them. Practiced during ancient times and now fast gaining popularity because of its healing powers, meditation is well worth the effort to explore. The following are just some of the varied and interesting positive contributions meditation can bring about:

• Optimized oxygen intake into the body system – through proper and controlled breathing techniques, an individual is able to draw breaths that are both deep and slow, as compared to the normal breathing styles generally used which are fast and shallow.
• Creates better blood flow – blood is an important part of the human body makeup, and with proper and optimized blood flow throughout the body, various nutrients and other needs of the body are properly addressed.
• Improved respiratory rate – one of the first indicators that a person is ill is the absence of a normal and even respiratory rate. Uneven and rapid respiratory rates can be improved to a point where the body is calmed enough to create an overall normal or even slower rate, thus positively contributing to combating any illness or stress on the body and mind.
• A higher exercise tolerance – the human body is able to withstand a lot more demanding exercise regimens with practiced meditation sessions. The mind prepares the body to take on the stress without allowing any possible painful consequences to play on the mind.
• Deeper physical relaxation sessions – even as meditation helps the mind and body better face adversity or challenges, it can also help the body reach deeper levels of relaxation. This is because the meditation exercise can teach the mind to reach a level of quietness and peace more effectively.
• Addresses high blood pressure problems – through meditation, the oxygen intake can be considerably reduced, thus allowing the heart rate to become slower. This in turn allows the blood pressure to be lowered significantly.
• Anxiety attacks are brought under control – meditation can help to lower the levels of blood lactate, which effectively reduces the frequency and severity of anxiety attacks. With prolonged meditation practice, it is possible to eradicate these anxiety attacks altogether.
• Better post-operative healing results – meditation methods can be adopted to create healing properties from within the human body to help in the recovery of injuries.
• Weight loss – meditation has also been known to help combat the insatiable need to consume food, by feeding the mind with positive thoughts. The mind is taught to refocus on other things besides food, thus helping to relieve the perceived hunger pangs or food cravings.
• Slows the aging process – meditation helps the body system function more efficiently. As there is now less stress on the various connective parts of the body, it is able to decelerate the aging process.
• Better air flow to the lungs – breathing techniques taught through the practice of meditation help the individual draw deeper and slower breaths. The lungs fill up in a more complete manner, hence dispersing more oxygen into the blood system.
• Cures headaches and migraines – through meditation, the tolerance levels of pain and discomfort can be heightened, thus allowing an individual to ignore minor headaches and migraine. As the tolerance levels build, it becomes easier to ignore the pain altogether.
• Optimized energy use – meditation help to create better awareness and mental focus, thus creating a mindset that is able to optimize any use of energy the body requires to perform tasks.
• Significantly reduces the frequency of asthma attacks – as asthma attacks are usually brought on by heightened anxiety and tension, meditation helps to regulate the breathing and relax the mind, which in turn helps create calmness.
• Creates beneficial changes in brain activity – because of the more proficient blood flow to the brain, better harmony and balance is created, thus effectively improving brain functions.
• Relaxes the nervous system – the nervous system regulates many organs and muscles and by using meditation, there can be better control over these functions.
• Develops heightened intuitive skills – because of meditation, the body and mind are now working in tandem, thus a heightened level of alertness is now evident.
• Increased job satisfaction – meditation teaches the individual to focus on the bigger picture, rather than all the small nuisances that come with a job. This kind of positive focus will help the individual find solutions that can overcome any problem in a calmer and more effective style.
• Improved relationship experiences – through meditation, the mind is cleared of unnecessary clutter, thus allowing for better focus on issues that are more important in creating and sustaining a healthy relationship.
• Overcome bad habits – using meditation, the mind can be taught to reject bad habits and replace these negative practices with more positive ones.
• Less aggression – because meditation is designed to achieve calmness and peace, any aggression is soon melted away as the calmer mindset takes over the bodily functions.
• Decreased restless personality traits – here again the meditative state increases the calm and peace within an individual, thus enabling better concentrated focus on finding fulfillment in a particular experience.
• Deeper understanding of feelings and surroundings – this usually helps to bring out the best in an individual as the ability to be more compassionate is effectively sowed.
• Living in the present – meditation also teaches an individual to learn how to enjoy anything and everything as it comes along. Conscious avoidance of the past or fretting about the future is the basis of most meditation sessions.
• Positive attitude changes – when an individual is able to attain peace and joy from within because of praising meditation, there is no need to look elsewhere for such positive reinforcement. This makes it easier to create happiness from within.
• Increased synchronicity in life – when the body and mind are in tune with each other, there is very little negativity that can take hold of a person’s life, and frequent meditation can empower a person this way.

Other benefits of meditation for a happy life

Peace, calm and tranquility are all qualities that can help to make an individual’s life easy and happy. However, these qualities are often hard to keep constant, as people rush around trying to get many things done in their daily lives. Using meditation to harness these good qualities is quite possible and the following are more benefits on the positive part meditation can play:

• Increased immunity against sickness and disease – when the body is able to achieve a state of relaxation a large percentage of the time, there is significant strength in the immune system. Because the immune system is now stronger, toxins and germs are not able to destroy cells in the body. There is evidence that meditation causes the immune system to be able to put up greater resistance to tumors and viruses.
• Stronger emotional balance – neurotic behavior patterns are usually common when the mind and body are not working in tandem to cleanse the conscious mind and the way it processes information. Meditation teaches the individual how to receive, digest and react without allowing the information to overwhelm and burden.
• Higher fertility conditions – when the body is stressed, there are many negative elements that are bound to corrupt the system as the toxins work to destroy cells. This concept also applies to the reproductive process. Through meditation, the relaxed state will allow the stress to melt away, resulting in higher and stronger sperm count and a more welcoming uterus environment.
• Helps with irritable bowels – many people are not able to have regular bowel movements, perhaps because of irregular diets. However, latest research has been able to show that stress and lack of sleep can result in irritable bowel movements. Meditation helps to infuse a state of relaxation, thus ensuring the body can function properly.
• Anti-inflammatory help – different levels of stress can also contribute to inflammations such as heart diseases, arthritis, asthma and bad skin conditions. Most times these conditions stem from the daily pressures and stress people have to endure. Meditation has been known to clinically improve the symptoms, thus lessening the severity of the negative medical condition.

Try following these steps as the initial guide to your meditation exercise:

• Consciously focus on “feeling” your body, starting from the toes up to the head.
• Be conscious of your breathing until it becomes slow and regular.
• Pick something and focus on it, without wavering.
• Imagine all the negativity melting and being washed away.