Meditation...does it really work?
If you are anything like me, you’ve been told time and time again about the benefits of “meditating” and how it can alleviate all of your problems. For many, many, years, I was in denial that “sitting with your thoughts” would do anything other than make me more anxious. But eventually, I was starting to lose hope that any coping skills would help, so I finally decided to give meditating a try.
At first, it was a very odd experience and I didn’t quite understand what was going on. But, as I did more research I came across “Guided Meditations” on Youtube, those worked. I felt like I wasn’t alone and I had help guiding my extremely busy mind.
Of course, now I’ve reached the point where I use them to sleep, as some of you may know the challenges that come with trying to silence an anxious mind. So, if you’re still reading this you might also be curious as to if and how and why meditation might help! Here's what I can share with you in my experience!
Mayo clinic gives a simple and to the point definition of what meditation really is, “Meditation has been practiced for thousands of years. Meditation originally was meant to help deepen understanding of the sacred and mystical forces of life. These days, meditation is commonly used for relaxation and stress reduction. Meditation is considered a type of mind-body complementary medicine. Meditation can produce a deep state of relaxation and a tranquil mind. During meditation, you focus your attention and eliminate the stream of jumbled thoughts that may be crowding your mind and causing stress. This process may result in enhanced physical and emotional well-being.” (mayoclinic.com para)
Personally, meditation led me to discover more about my own spirituality, with this being said, you do not need to be spiritual for meditation to benefit you!
Benefits may include:
● Focusing on the present
● Reduction in stress
● Enhancement of self- awareness
● Reduction in memory loss
● Improvements with sleep
Hopefully this information and my experiences were useful; thank you for reading!
Molly Mara
Youth Peer Support Specialist