Meditation is a practice designed to make you more self-aware. It is a practice that makes you more aware of your surroundings, your environment, and ultimately makes you more in control of your physical being and the things around you.
In the process, meditation is successful in helping to reduce anxiety and stress, because it generates a sense of empowerment, placing you in control of your own destiny.
Drug Addiction
The Transcendental Meditation technique has proven to be a successful coping strategy in helping to deal with drug addiction. It helps deal with the withdrawal effects in a very effective manner.
Prolonging Life Expectancy
Meditation has been shown to lower core body temperature. This is one of the factors that has been scientifically determined to extend life.
Stress Control
Research has shown that hormones and other biochemical compounds in the blood indicative of stress tend to decrease during meditation practice. These changes also stabilize over time, so that a person is actually less stressed biochemically during daily activity.
This reduction of stress translates directly into a reduction of anxiety and tension. Literally dozens of studies have shown this.
Meditation helps one to lead a stress free life thus reducing the strain both on the mind and the body.
Pain Management:
Meditation may not eliminate pain, but it helps people cope more effectively. It helps people deal with anxiety, it also helps them cope positively with physical pain such as arthritis, headaches, back pain etc.
Cancer and Other Chronic Illness
According to a research conducted by Dr. Ainslie Meares, an Australian psychiatrist who studied the effect of meditation on seventy-three cancer patients,a significant reduction of anxiety and depression, together with much less discomfort and pain was seen amongst the patients. Also,a 50 percent chance of greatly improved quality of life was predicted.
Heart disease
Meditation is a key component of Ornish therapy, the only treatment scientifically proven to reverse heart disease.
High blood pressure
According to a research conducted by Dr. Benson on 36 people with moderately elevated blood pressure meditation reliably reduced blood pressure in mediators. After several weeks of practice, a considerable decline in average blood pressure was noticed. Thus reducing their risk of stroke and heart attack.
Infertility
Meditation helps individuals suffering from infertility to a great extent. According to studies in comparison to a group of infertile couples who did not learn deep relaxation, the mediators experienced less distress-and were more likely to get pregnant.
Psoriasis
This is a disease that causes scaly red patches on the skin. According to studies conducted, the skin patches of those who also meditate clear up more quickly, in comparison to people with skin patches who received only standard medical therapy
Respiratory crises
Asthma, emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) all restrict breathing and raise fears of suffocation, which in turn makes breathing even more difficult
Studies conducted show that when people with these respiratory conditions learn breath meditation, they have fewer respiratory crises.
Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS), Tension Headaches
Meditation can ease physical complaints such as premenstrual syndrome (PMS), tension headaches and other common health problems.
Meditation gives people a psychological buffer so that life’s hectic pace doesn’t knock them out. Practicing meditation is like taking a vacation once or twice a day.
Nurturing yourself this way enables you to accrue tremendous spin-off benefits.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Ulcers, and Insomnia
Meditation can also improve irritable bowel syndrome, ulcers, and insomnia, among other stress-related conditions. Eighty percent of the people who use meditation to relieve insomnia are successful.
The reason why Meditation is such a hit is because it provides an inner sense of clarity and calm, and that, in itself, helps ward off certain illnesses.
Meditation has several unseen benefits. One needs to just tap into the reservoir of this source so as to enjoy the various boons that come with it.