Everyone needs to empty their mind and have a moment of rest that relieves the tensions of everyday life, don't you? Even more so now, in this era where society demands a speed of information and demands that are very fast. A simple way out that can change your life is the practice of meditation.
This millennial activity has thousands of fans around the world and you must surely know someone who practices it. Do you know World Meditation Day? It has been celebrated on May 21 since 2017, when it was created by therapist Will Williams, author of several works on the subject. The date is very important because it is a way of disseminating the concepts, philosophies and benefits of meditation to the general public. The world of meditation is very rich and full of knowledge. Learn a little about this practice in this article.
What is meditation?
Meditation is a practice of mental and body work that seeks clarity of thought and transcendence of the relationship of all elements of the being, through concentration exercises. It is considered a very ancient method of oriental origin. The first written references on the subject can be found in the historiography of Hindus, the Vedas.
There are ancient references to meditation or similar practices in the cultures of Confucianism and Taoism in China and Buddhism and Jainism in Nepal and India. Long before Christianity, for centuries, meditation was widely known in these and other places in the East, as it was associated with religious practices. For them, meditation was as common as saying a prayer.
Over the centuries and with the advance of mercantile exchanges and colonialism, meditation reached the western world. The practice and its philosophies were incorporated, in a way, into Christian thought. Christian meditation was developed in the XNUMXth century and gained a liturgical definition with the monk Guigo II, in the XNUMXth century, who used the concepts of “reading, reflection, prayer and contemplation”. The practice was continued through the centuries.
The main reference to meditation is Yoga. Currently, he is largely responsible for the international dissemination of meditation. It is possible to practice meditation with the help of apps and websites.
Health benefits of meditation
There are many benefits that meditation brings to its practitioners. Have you thought about all of them? It is highly sought after for its strong ability to promote health and increase the quality of life. This is because we all need a good break. It is common that our minds are always overloaded due to the accumulation of information, work and deadlines. Today's society, always prioritizing immediate results, is totally against an act of pause such as meditation.
Another advantage of practicing meditation is becoming more and more accurate in developing skills of concentration, tranquility and focus on the present.
As silence, mediated by rhythmic breathing, is the tonic of those who meditate, it is possible that you will be able to clear your mind of various thoughts and works more easily, along your path with practice.
In this way, meditative exercise generates strong body relaxation and decreased breathing, which directly affects our neurons and, consequently, relieves tensions of thought, such as anxiety, depression, stress and insomnia. It also has the power to control blood pressure.
The technique is also positive for our cognitive system, helping in the ability to control physical and emotional perceptions, increasing self-discipline and self-knowledge. When practiced regularly, people are able to read more of their bodies' signals and understand more about how various internal systems work. Not to mention that the feeling of peace and calm is good for anyone, whether they have health problems or not.
Most Popular Meditation Techniques
Like any age-old practice that has spread across the world, meditation can be divided into several modalities. There are many types of meditation. How many do you know? In antiquity, as it was present in various religions and cultures of the eastern world, the practice already had several variations, such as Yoga and transcendental meditation. Over the centuries, the approach to the West yielded even more ramifications.
Nowadays, it is possible to associate meditation with other previously unknown practices, developed by cultures that were previously more closed to the world (such as indigenous peoples). Modern science has also studied meditation deeply, and many other ramifications have emerged from it, such as mindfulness meditation.
The vastness of content, studies and discoveries places meditation in a wide democratic space of variations. It continues to be studied and practiced by teachers, religious leaders, scientists, coaches… The list is enormous. Get to know some types of meditation and see which one best suits your personality and reality.
mindfulness meditation
Developed by physician Jon Kabat-Zinn, from the University of Massachusetts (United States), in the 1970s, mindfulness meditation is a practice that combines modern scientific knowledge with Vipassana, a more than 2.000-year-old type of meditation, which many say it was created by the Buddha himself. Kabat-Zinn blended the best of contemporary science studies with the philosophies and practices of Zen Buddhism. These experiments resulted in the creation of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), a group aimed at promoting this type of meditation, with a focus on relieving illness and solving problems.
Mindfulness is a meditation that seeks deep attention to all feelings and thoughts that the patient is feeling. She seeks clarity and understanding of the body for the purposes of managing stress and developing deeper inner peace. It is closer to the scientific practices of psychotherapies than to spiritual methods.
Transcendental Meditation
This type of meditative practice is one of the most famous and well-known of the last century. Transcendental meditation emerged in 1958 with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, a famous Indian guru of the 60s, and remained strong until after his death in the 2000s.
This practice consists of the mental repetition of specific mantras, aimed at well-being and reaching deep levels of consciousness that were hitherto difficult to achieve. It is usually performed in 20-minute sets. In addition to repeating the mantra, the practitioner must control the breath and pay attention to the whole body.
guided meditation
Guided meditation is a variation of the most classic practices, combined with technological advances. It consists of meditative practice carried out with the help of recordings of songs, ambient sounds, narrations and mantras. Currently, it is very easy to get these materials on social networks, such as YouTube. Meditation is carried out with the use of headphones or sound equipment, in quiet and solitary moments, such as bedtime. Many people practice the activity to improve the quality of sleep.
Yoga
Yoga is an ancient science of more than 5 thousand years, of oriental origin and practiced all over the world. The practice aims to unite body, mind and spirit, reconnecting its practitioners to their true essence. Yoga is a term of origin in the Sanskrit language, ancient language of India and Nepal, and its root is the word “yuj”, which means “to unite” or “to integrate”. In this way, we can understand that Yoga is always seeking the integration of all the parts that make up the human being in its entirety. There are several types of Yoga, which bring together different ways to combine meditation and relaxation of the body through specific exercises.
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So, did you know more about Meditation Day and its various practices? How about adopting meditative exercises in your daily life? As you can see, there are several direct health benefits. In addition to the rarity of being able to collect silent and peaceful moments. It may not seem like it, but a good meditation can get you out of many problems and relieve the emotional and stress burden in a way that no medicine can. Or rather, even if medications are successful, the practice is a healthy activity, without the use of chemical substances. Do the test! You just have to win.
