by: Meditation
Photo Maksim Shmeljov
Definition
Meditation or contemplation involves focusing the mind upon a sound, phrase, prayer, object,
visualized image, the breath, ritualized movements, or consciousness in order to increase
awareness of the present moment, promote relaxation, reduce stress , and enhance personal or
spiritual growth.
Purpose
Meditation can benefit people who are ill or overwhelmed by stress. It also promotes well-being
in healthy people. In general, people who meditate regularly experience less anxiety and
depression. They also report more enjoyment and appreciation of life, as well as better social
relationships. Meditation produces a state of deep relaxation and a sense of balance, or
equanimity. According to Michael J. Baime in Essentials of Complementary and Alternative
Medicine , meditation allows one to fully experience intense emotions without losing composure.
The consequence of emotional balance is greater insight regarding one's thoughts, feelings, and
actions. Insight, in turn, promotes confidence and awareness. Meditation also facilitates a greater
sense of calmness, empathy, and acceptance of self and others.
Meditation is sometimes suggested as a complement to medical treatments of disease; in
particular, it is an important complementary therapy for both the treatment and prevention of
many stress-related conditions. meditation Regular may reduce the number of symptoms
experienced by patients with a wide range of illnesses and disorders. Based upon clinical
evidence, as well as theory, meditation is seen as an appropriate therapy for panic disorder ,
Meditation
generalized anxiety disorder , substance dependence and abuse, ulcers, colitis, chronic pain,
psoriasis, and dysthymic disordera disorder that involves a steady, depressed mood for at least
two years. Moreover, meditation is a valuable adjunct therapy for moderate hypertension (high
blood pressure), prevention of cardiac arrest (heart attack), prevention of atherosclerosis
(hardening of the arteries), arthritis (including fibromyalgia), cancer, insomnia , migraine, and
stroke . It is a complementary therapy for moderating allergies and asthma because it reduces
stress, which is prevalent in these conditions. Additionally, meditation may improve function or
reduce symptoms of patients with neurologic disorders such as Parkinson's disease, multiple
sclerosis, and epilepsy.
In 1995, the authors of a report to the National Institutes of Health on complementary or
alternative medicine reviewed 30 years of research and reports of individuals and health care
providers. They concluded that meditation and related methods for the enhancement of relaxation
are cost-effective ways to improve health and quality of life.