Meditation is a mental
discipline by which one attempts to get beyond the reflexive, "thinking" mind into a deeper state of relaxation or awareness.
Meditation can be seen as therapeutic approach to addressing mental stress and disturbances. It is effective way to handle personal and social crisis. It is not just therapeutic approach but ingredient of daily routine of many executives. Many like Dr Pardeshi MD have incorporated mediation as routine life like other activities like exercises and food.
Introduction A state of Meditation is acquired by practice. The tranquility of mind cannot be obtained overnight. It is a gradual process and requires patience with oneself. You are dealing with your own demons. Human mind is the most powerful gift that the Creator has given mankind. We are unable to fully understand & utilize the mental powers given to us, because, our mental powers are distributed into thousands of thoughts that constantly crowed our mind. This decreases our concentration, makes one impatient and many times unable to comprehend a simple situation due to mental fatigue.
Meditation helps us understand mind-body connection and therefore enables us to enhance the well-being of both. Researchers say that our emotions and thoughts can determine our health.
Types of Meditation Transcendental Meditation or Mantra Meditation : When most people hear the word meditation, they often think of transcendental meditation or similar practices used to evoke the relaxation response. In these approaches you focus attention on one thing, usually the sensation of breath leaving and entering your body or a mantra (a special sound or phrase you repeat silently to yourself). Anything else that comes into your mind during meditation is seen as a distraction to be disregarded. These practices can give rise to very deep states of calmness and stability of attention. They are known as the concentration, or “one-pointed,” type of meditation— according to Buddha.
MEDITATION More and more doctors are prescribing meditation as a way to lower blood pressure, improve exercise performance in people with angina, help asthmatics breathe easier, relieve insomnia and generally ease the everyday stresses of life. Medication is a safe and simple way to balance a person's physical, emotional and mental states. The concept of meditation works on the principle that when the mind is calm and focused on the present. Neither is it reacting to memories from the past nor being preoccupied with plans for the future: two major sources of chronic stress known to impact health.
There are several techniques of meditation but they all have one thing in common -- focus on quietening the busy mind. The concept is not to remove stimulation but rather to direct concentration to one healing element: one sound, one word, one image, or one's breath.
All forms of meditation can be broadly classified into concentrative meditation and mindful meditation.
Concentrative meditation focuses attention on a breath, an image, or a sound (mantra), in order to still the mind and allow greater awareness and clarity to emerge. The simplest form of concentrative meditation is to sit quietly and focus attention on the breath. Yoga and meditation practitioners believe that there is a direct correlation between one's breath one's state of the mind. For example, when a person is anxious, frightened, agitated or distracted, the breath will tend to be shallow, rapid and uneven. On the other hand, when the mind is calm focused and composed the breath will tend to be slow, deep and regular.
As one focuses one's awareness on the breath, the mind becomes absorbed in the rhythm of inhalation and exhalation. As a result, breathing will become slower and deeper, and the mind will become more tranquil and aware.
Mindful meditation, involves becoming aware of the continuously passing parade of sensations and feeling, images, thoughts, sounds, smells, and so forth without becoming involved in thinking about them. The person sits quietly and simply witnesses whatever goes through the mind, not reacting or becoming involved with thoughts, memories, worries or images. This helps to gain a more calm, clear and non-reactive state of mind. Studies show that after meditation, reactions are faster, creativity greater and comprehension broader. In addition, by silencing the mind, meditation can also put one in touch with the self, allowing the body's own inner wisdom to be heard.
Benefits: By gaining control over his mind and senses one gets more control over his life.
One becomes more aware of his true identity as a spiritual being and not as his identification such as his body, job, race, religion etc.
One gets more in tune with his true identity and with the over soul, universal energy.
Environment of inner peacefulness-stress relief
One gets experience of the self-referral state enlivens orderliness, dynamism, and creativity within the mediator resulting in greater effectiveness and success in daily life.
With time and faith in the commitment to practice frequently, (daily meditating is ideal), during your meditation time you may “leave the moment.” A feeling of separation exists where the mind is clear, clean and blank. You will still hear sounds around you, but they will not interfere with your meditation.
Sometimes you may weep—you may not even be aware of what is making you weep. It is your own emotions having a voice of their own. Sometimes you may feel a smile across your face—that is contentment showing itself. Sometimes you may fall asleep and awaken truly refreshed.
Meditation improves concentration, memory, will power, tolerance and patience. It improves creativity in person. People practicing meditation has good control over their emotions and can judge when to dispense their emotions, instead of being swept away by them. They are not perturbed by trivial things and are able to think of solutions to problems with clear minds as they are in control of their emotions.
Hope this information can help you start on the path of meditation, and bring you peace and happiness. There are many international centers teaching meditation in India. One is at Nashik in Maharashtra state.
