In its simplest form meditation is the practice of calming your body and mind to perform inner contemplation. You perform mental exercises to cultive a sense of physical and emotional well being. The classic Eastern practice of this has you sitting with your spine straight, legs crossed and forefinger and thumb together as you release the sound of “ohm.” But many people simply assume a comfortable pose and then clear their minds.
Situations such as an asthma attack or acute pain can create stress, anxiety, and muscle tension. These reactions make the situation worse.
The variations are numerous: some people focus on an external object, such as a candle. Others find that they can clear their minds easier by concentrating on their breathing. Some even silently repeat a word or a phrase.
One student of meditation has described it as inner astronomy. Through meditation you discover the stars, the moon and the sun . . . all within you. Most closely associated with advanced spiritual development, Eastern medicine has claimed that meditation can help a person improve his physical health as well.
For many years conventional Western medicine paid scant attention to meditation and even less to its “allegedly” benefits. But recently, studies have shown that meditation can indeed have immense health benefits. Meditation is an example of how the body and mind can work together in order to generate a state of well-being.
Meditation can be an effective complement to conventional medical treatment. By calming the mind, many individuals have experienced remarkable improvements in such health conditions as blood pressure and other cardiovascular problems, depression, anxiety, and stress. Many have even reported that chronic pain lessens when they meditate regularly and their problems with insomnia have decreased.
But more than that, studies have shown that even AIDS patients and those suffering with cancer benefit from practicing meditation. Some doctors have even noted that continued meditation may even help those addicted to drugs and alcohol.
The exact mechanisms by which meditation work are not fully known as of yet, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM). Currently, the National Institutes of Health are sponsoring several studies to discover more in depth knowledge about the effects of meditation, how it works and for what health conditions it would be most beneficial.
Researchers do know that meditation produces changes in the body’s autonomic nervous system which then alters your body’s “fight or flight” response which dictates how you body responds to stress as well as how your organs, and muscles perform. One of the best aspects of meditation is that unlike harsh prescription medicines given for depression or for heart-related conditions, it is free of side effects.
Resource: Ultimate Guide to Meditation
