Meditation Essays - Meditation, Mindbody Interventions, Yoga

Meditation Webster's dictionary defines meditation as "to reflect on; ponder, to engage in contemplation," which it really is, although, many people believe that meditation is a means of developing a more spiritual or religious life. Meditation does not necessarily have to be religious. Many people just meditate to relax or organize their thoughts. Meditation is a very broad subject since there are many ways in which to perform meditation. Not only are there many ways but, there are also many different religions associated with meditation. Not only is meditation good for the soul but, it is also good for the mind. I myself have experimented with meditation and have found it to be very relaxing and at the same time stimulating. One way to perform meditation is to first find a comfortable place to sit or lie down. Then you must have a precise, intense focus on one object. Follow and control your breath and note all of your body sensations or track the sequence of your thoughts. Second, be allowing to any thoughts that may enter your head. Be spacious and open- hearted. This is excellent for the mind. Another form that is good for the body is body relaxation. First lie on your back on the floor, a supportive bed or a couch. Close your eyes and rest for a moment. Wait for a feeling of readiness. When you are ready to begin, tighten all the muscles that you can, but never tighten them to the point of discomfort. Hold this for thirty seconds. Next pay close attention to the sensation you feel and remember it. Then let all your muscles go and allow them to relax. Compare the feeling that you are feeling to the one that you had just felt minutes ago. After a few minutes repeat this but, allow your muscles to relax for a longer amount of time. Yoga, another form of meditation, teaches an eightfold path beginning with the acquisition of pure moral attitudes, proceeding through practices of breath control and postures designed to allow a person to concentrate without having his or her mind distracted by outside forces. By concentrating on progressively more abstract concepts the person achieves higher and higher meditative states, culminating in a contentless trance that constitutes liberation. Yogis, people that perform yoga, in more advanced stages of this process are said to be gifted with remarkable powers , such as special capacities for sight, an ability to levitate and to project their minds into other bodies, and so on. Religion is a major factor in meditation. Many people meditate to grow more in tune with their spiritual life. The religion of Taoism uses meditation as a way to find the way of harmony in life. Zen Buddhism uses meditation to see into your true nature and realize enlightenment. Buddhism is another form of religion that is based on meditation that is similar to Zen Buddhism. Buddhists use meditation as a way to release their inner illusion. Meditation is not used for religious purposes only. It may also be used to relax or dig deep into a persons soul. Meditation brings out the union of opposites. Due to this the yin-yang symbol is associated with meditation. Within the white there is black and within the black there is white. Both intervene. Some radical doctors will know prescribe meditation instead of pain kills or drugs to relax a person. They do this because meditation has no harmful side effects and can be done by anyone. The only thing meditation can do is to help an individual calm themselves and have clearer thoughts. Meditation has been found to improve mental health by reducing biochemical indicators of stress, decreasing anxiety, and enhancing psychological development. In Sweden the National Health Board conducted a nationwide epidemiological study that found that hospital admissions for psychiatric care for people that meditated was 150-200 times less common to people that did not meditate. Increased intelligence is another benefit of meditation. It has been found that college students that practice meditation over a two year period have a higher nonverbal IQ. All in all meditation is a healthy practice to do. You should be aware of the many types of