Embracing the truths about the power of meditation is becoming easier and easier these days.

Thankfully, our world today is evolving. We  are incorporating more holistic and mindful practices into our daily lives. Meditation is one of those practices.

In today’s world you are no longer dismissed as “woo-woo”, if you chose to benefit from the age old practice of meditation. And for those of you who are still struggling a lil bit: Jesus prayed and  meditated.

We probably all know someone who practices some form of meditation. For some people, it’s a daily practice, while for others it’s just for emergency situations. What are some of those emergency situations? It’s those moments where you feel like your life is spinning out of control. It’s for times when you can’t seem to get out of your own way. When this happens, remember to just breathe. Deep breathing alone can calm down your entire nervous system.

Maybe you might consider joining the masses and developing a personal meditation practice

Initially, it might seem too time consuming or not worth the trouble? Yet, some of the most successful and productive people on the planet meditate regularly. Not only is meditation most certainly worth the time and effort, but the rewards will speak for themselves.

The power of meditation is full of benefits and might actually surprise you. But first, let’s uncover what meditation really is.

What is Meditation?

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary to meditate means to engage in contemplation or reflection.

The practice of meditation has been around for centuries. The art and practice of meditation basically has one goal in mind – to slow down the mind. Especially in today’s culture, we all have such busy lifestyles and even busier minds. Stress levels are up, blood pressure is up and relaxation is down. This is where meditation comes into play.

The art and practice of meditation is one where you allow yourself and, most importantly, your mind to relax, rest, and rejuvenate itself. You take time to practice the art of breathing, slowing down your mind. The true history of meditation is really the practice of getting into a thought consciousness of total awareness and not letting the mind wander.

However, this is something that takes time and practice. The history and background of meditation is to serve one higher purpose. That purpose is to be in and experience present-moment living.

What is the Power of Meditation?

While some people might view meditation as some sort of woo woo practice which doesn’t really work, the truth of the matter is that there is power behind meditation. When you meditate, your brain waves actually change. Meditation actually has the power to change your mind, or at least your mindset.

When someone meditates, their brain waves have the capacity to slow down. With proper breathing techniques, beta waves in the brain are more easily reduced. When the beta waves calm down and slow down, there’s sense of overall calm and well-being as an after effect.

Meditation affects the brain and its brain waves. Each part of the brain, according to

scientific studies and research, is affected by meditation. Incoming information can be slowed down when meditating:

⦁ Emotions are not as strong

⦁ Sensory input slows down

⦁ Over-thinking ceases

⦁ Information overload slows down

There are several parts of the brain which are positively impacted by meditation:

⦁ Frontal lobe

⦁ Parietal lobe

⦁ Thalamus

Imagine being able to control your brain to some degree and be able to relax, focus, and have more clarity. All this can come from meditation.

Why So Many People Use and Promote the Power of Meditation

Why do so many people use and promote meditation? The answer is because it works.

Meditation is powerful for many reasons:

Meditation Decreases Stress and Anxiety

Some people have what is known as too much fight or flight syndrome. Their gut instincts tell them they are in danger when they are really not. Meditation can help ease anxiety.

There’s a neural pathway which leads to the part of our brains in which we need to determine whether or not we are in real, imminent danger. For some, those connections are so strong we feel we are in danger when we are not.

When taking on the practice of meditating, this connection can be diminished, however, this is not a danger. This is a plus. Our brains have many parts, and the part that assesses reasoning is strengthened by meditating, while the irrational fear pathway is weakened.

This becomes a win/win situation.

Meditation Can Increase  Empathy

During meditation, the part of your brain that is responsible for showing more compassion is activated. Scientific studies show that compassion and empathy are more active when someone meditates. Having more compassion is never a bad thing.

Meditation Can Increase Mental Focus

It makes sense that meditation can increase focus because when you meditate, you are focused on the present moment. Present moment awareness trains the brain to stay focused in other situations.

One of the biggest bonuses and benefits of meditation is to help you choose your focus and to pull your thoughts back to present moment reality. How often do you catch yourself having a busy brain and feel as though you are not able to reel it back in? Meditation can help with that.

Not only does meditation help you to regain a sense of the present moment while you are meditating, but the effects far outweigh the present moment meditation. Meditation helps you to keep focused long after you’re done meditating.

Meditation Improves Memory

If you’ve ever walked into another room and wondered why the heck you went in there, maybe just meditation can give your memory a boost. Meditation activates a certain part of the brain which helps to decrease distractions and increase memory recall.

So, the next time you walk into a room, you might just remember why you went in there in the first place.

Meditation Unlocks Creativity

If you’ve ever gotten stuck on creating a new idea or had the experience of writer’s block, you may wish to take up meditation. The power of meditation has a way of unlocking and unleashing your creative potential.

In just about any job scenario, creativity is a useful asset. Whether you are a sales and marketing manager, a writer, or have your own home business, a little creativity goes a long way.

Meditation Can Make You Smile More

People who meditate are shown to be more positive and upbeat. Meditation has a way to calm and soothe the mind. When your mind is calm, your spirit is bound to follow. The mind-body connection is a powerful bond.

When you have a calm mind, you are more focused and can therefore be more productive. When you have a mind full of clutter, it’s difficult to focus at work. When you have clarity, you can activate the momentum that leads to success. When you are less stressed, you are more focused.

Meditation Promotes Brain Function

Meditation is like exercise for your brain. While it may not be a muscle, but rather an organ, it does act like a muscle. The more you use it, the better it can get. Meditation has many ways of increasing your brain’s ability to function better.

There are a host of neurological benefits to the brain from meditating. Whereas before it was once thought that only a region or two of the brain was positively impacted, new studies are beginning to show many areas of the brain are positively affected.

The improvements are not just temporary either – they are long-lasting effects.

Can Meditation Slow Down the Aging Process?

The length of telomeres in your brain can determine the length of your life. When it comes down to it, the less stress and anxiety, the less disease and the longer your life.

Now scientific studies and research are showing that the more a person meditates, the more it benefits in keeping aging at bay. It stands to reason that if meditation keeps illnesses at a decreased level, longevity will increase.

A reduced response to stress can have someone lead a happier, healthier, and longer life.

The Power of Meditation Improves Sleep

Hundreds of thousands of people take sleep aids in order to assist them in getting a decent night’s sleep. These people suffer greatly from insomnia. No matter what they do it seems they keep tossing and turning and sleep just won’t come to them.

They wake up the next day feeling groggy and irritated, not to mention that without proper sleep it’s easy to get rundown or even sick. Meditation can help improve the quality of your sleep and make it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep.

Here are three ways to incorporate meditation into your nightly routine so that you may experience a more blissful sleep.

⦁ Breathing – Practice the art of meditative breathing. Meditative breathing slows the body and mind down. This is conducive to a good night’s rest. More importantly, it slows the activity in your brain so you can prepare yourself for a good night’s sleep. Breathing in through your nostrils and exhaling through your mouth is a good way to alleviate stress, let it all go, and slow down your body’s rhythm. Slowing your body and mind down before bed is integral to getting a good night’s rest. More importantly, it is a great way to wake up feeling refreshed rather than groggy and craving more sleep.

⦁ Affirmations – It helps to use a releasing affirmation when you prepare to go to sleep at night. When you prepare to go to sleep at night, it works wonders to mix your deep breathing along with your affirmations. Make certain your affirmations are releasing affirmations. Choose whatever works for you; for example, “I release all that did not serve me today.”

⦁ Visualization – Visualizing along with deep breathing and affirmations is a powerful trio. Visualizing your life as you wish it to be doesn’t make you ungrateful, it just leads you to a calmer place and provides hope for the future.

What are the benefits of a good night’s rest? Get the details here in this post.

So as you can see, the power of meditation goes a long way to improve your mindset and your overall wellness. Gone are the days, of discounting this ancient practice as woo woo and not reaping the intelligent rewards that the power of meditation offers us. For those of us who desire to improve our lives and our health, it is a practice well worth considering!

I sure hope this helps.

Be Well + Prosper,

Elaine