Meditation - Natural Remedies, Part 2, Coming to the Clinic, Part 13

     When I was a kid – you know, back in the sixties and seventies – Transcendental Meditation was all the rage. I thought it would be so cool to do that, repeat your mantra or even just keep saying “ooohm” and journey in your head to a different plain. All I ever accomplished was to fall asleep.

I never figured out what meditation was, and yet here I am, about to tell you all about it.

First of all, there are all sorts of activities which can be referred to as meditation, all of which are to have the goal of getting you into a relaxed state of being and finding inner peace.

Transcendental Meditation is a trade-marked form of the practice, but mantra meditation is similar because you are also repeating a word or your mantra as a way to relax. In mindfulness meditation you just let your mind wander, supposedly, which means I’m practicing nearly all the time. That makes it sound like mediation is beyond my grasp. But luckily there are even more kinds of it.

In guided meditation, you imagine sights, sounds, and anything else your senses can conjure up to take you to a place of relaxation. I actually have used guided imagery quite a bit, so come back next week and I’ll tell you all about it.

One thing I have already told you about is yoga, which can also be used as a form of meditation, along with things like Tai Chi and Qi Gong. (I know, right?)  

So pretty much any practice which leads to a deep state of relaxation in both body and mind (without using any external junk like drugs or alcohol). But what can all this relaxation do?

Some of the emotional benefits can be:

1)     Acquire the ability to handle stress better

2)     Increase self-awareness

3)     Reduce anger and other negative thoughts and emotions

4)     Increase imagination and creativity

5)     Increase patience and tolerance

Can meditation help with physical ailments? Science has proven that many of our medical conditions are directly related to our emotional well-being, the whole mind-body connection. Some of these disorders include:

1)     Asthma

2)     Depression

3)     Chronic pain

4)     Elevated blood pressure

5)     Heart disease

6)     Cancer

7)     Irritable bowel syndrome

8)     Insomnia and other sleep disorders

9)     Headaches

As with any other natural remedies, meditation is not a replacement for traditional medical care. Talk to your health care provider before using meditation if you have any of these conditions or other health problems. (Ok, I just have to say that to cover myself. I work in health care, so I actually think your provider might look at you like you are nuts if you ask them if you can start meditating.)

I think the key to meditation is the component of relaxation. However you do it, sit back, get comfortable, maybe listen to some soft calming music, think about whatever you need to that helps you relax, take a few deep breaths and go to your happy place. Like, really, it should be that simple. 

Try it and let me know.

For more information, check this website: https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/meditation/in-depth/meditation/art-20045858