Meditation is the habitual process of training your mind to focus and redirect your thoughts. It can wipe away the day’s stress and bring inner peace. It can also be used as a practice to develop other beneficial habits and feelings, such as a positive mood and outlook, self-discipline, healthy sleep patterns, and even increased pain tolerance.
There are many types of mediation, including:
- Guided meditation
- Mantra meditation
- Mindfulness meditation
- Qigong
- Tai chi
- Yoga
Each type of meditation includes certain features to help you meditate. The most common features include:
- Focused attention- focusing your attention is one of the most important elements of meditation. It helps free your mind from the many things that cause stress and worry.
- Relaxed breathing- this meditation technique involves deep, even-paced breathing using the diaphragm to expand your lungs. The purpose is to slow your breathing, take in more oxygen, and reduce the use of shoulder, neck, and upper chest muscles while breathing so that you breathe better.
- A quiet setting- if you’re a beginner, meditation may be easier to do if you’re in a quiet spot to have fewer distractions. As you get more skilled at meditation, you may be able to do it anywhere, including high-stress places.
- A comfortable position- you can practice meditation whether sitting, lying down, walking, or in other positions or activities. Ensure you are comfortable to get the most out of your meditation. Aim to keep a good posture during meditation.
- An open attitude- let thoughts pass through your mind without judging them.
Here are some emotional and physical benefits of meditation:
- It helps reduce stress
- It helps to control anxiety
- It supports emotional health
- It enhances self-awareness
- It increases your attention span
- It may reduce age-related memory loss
- It can help generate kindness
- It may help with addiction
- It helps to improve sleep
- It helps control pain
- It can help decrease blood pressure
- It is accessible anywhere
- It enables you to be more patient
Meditation is something everyone can do to improve their mental and emotional health without special equipment or costly memberships. Trying a style of meditation suited to your goals is a great way to improve your quality of life, even if you only have a few minutes a day.
If you want to learn more about Jamaica Hospital Medical Center’s integrative health services, events, or classes or would like to schedule an appointment, please call us at (718) 206-5675.
All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page. You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter. PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.