Let’s face it: modern life is full of chaos. If we allow ourselves to be easily swayed by external circumstances, life creates stress, worry, fear, and other negative emotions. We cannot rely on other people or outside circumstances to create stability and peace for us. If we want to be steady, resilient, and calm regardless of what’s happening around us, our peace has to come from within.
The best way I’ve found to cultivate lasting, inner peace is a consistent meditation practice. The benefits of meditation last well beyond the time spent actually in meditation. Meditation can rewire our brains so that our reactions in normal conscious life become different. We become more centered, calm, and focused. We can respond to difficult situations with greater ease and have more joy in life.
The tangible benefits
There are many benefits to meditation, and many of them have been proven scientifically over the past several decades. Here are a few:
- Reduce stress and tension
- Increase control over your own thoughts
- Detach in a healthy way from situations (less drama!)
- Increase happiness and peace of mind
- Increase concentration, focus, and productivity
- Gain clarity
- Discover your purpose and who you truly are
Through meditation, we train the mind to become more quiet and still. With consistent practice, we begin to respond differently to external stimulus, becoming less fear-based and more rational. Research has shown that meditation also reduces brain function aging, keeping our minds fit as we grow older.
“Meditation has been linked to larger hippocampal and frontal volumes of gray matter, resulting in more positive emotions, the retention of emotional stability, and more mindful behavior (heightened focus during day-to-day living). Meditation has also been shown to have neuroprotective attributes; it can diminish age-related effects on gray matter and reduce cognitive decline.”
Meditation has measurable effects on several parts of the brain, as explained by Sara Lazar, a neuroscientist at Harvard Medical School: “We found differences in brain volume after eight weeks in five different regions in the brains of the two groups. In the group that learned meditation, we found thickening in four regions:
- The primary difference, we found in the posterior cingulate, which is involved in mind wandering, and self-relevance.
- The left hippocampus, which assists in learning, cognition, memory, and emotional regulation.
- The temporo parietal junction, or TPJ, which is associated with perspective-taking, empathy, and compassion.
- An area of the brain stem called the Pons, where a lot of regulatory neurotransmitters are produced.
The amygdala, the fight-or-flight part of the brain, which is important for anxiety, fear and stress in general. That area got smaller in the group that went through the mindfulness-based stress reduction program. The change in the amygdala was also correlated to a reduction in stress levels.”
How do you meditate?
Meditation is a set of techniques used to train the mind to become more quiet, less cluttered, and more focused. It often includes an introduction that focuses on the breath as a means to relax the body. When our bodies are relaxed, it is much easier to relax the mind. Meditation techniques have been used for thousands of years as a part of many spiritual traditions, but in recent times, there are many styles available that do not have any direct ties to spirituality.
There are two main types of meditation: active and passive. Active meditation uses a focal point to redirect the thoughts to something positive, such as a mantra or a guided visualization. Passive meditation uses techniques to help clear the mind of thoughts or to observe our thoughts without judgment.
The style of meditation I lead publicly is called Max Meditation™, and it includes segments of both active and passive meditation. I find this combination is very beneficial for beginning meditation students.
If you’ve ever been intimidated by the thought of meditating, it’s probably because you thought you have to immediately turn your brain off like a light switch in order to meditate. That’s very difficult for most of us, even with training. That’s why a good meditation coach or program will teach you techniques to gradually slow down your thoughts to become more quiet over time, and/or redirect your thoughts to a positive focus.
How do I get started?
20 minutes or more a day will yield the most noticeable results. You can start at even 5 minutes a day and work your way up. The most important part is to get started. And once you get started, you’ll see far more benefits if you do it consistently.
If you’re ready to try an extended meditation session (1 hour), I highly recommend Max Meditation™. There are certified teachers across the globe. You can find a directory of those people here. Some offer online options in addition to in-person sessions.
I’ve recorded a free, abbreviated version of my Max Meditation™ for the readers of this article. It’s about 25 minutes and can be found here.
One popular form of meditation is mindfulness meditation. There are several apps and websites dedicated to this form, and you can find guided meditations of various durations online. If you don’t like one teacher or style of meditation, try something else. There are so many styles—and it’s perfectly fine to keep looking until you find one that feels right.
Take notice of how you feel when you meditate compared with when you don’t. As I’ve noticed and as many of my clients have told me, the difference will become self-motivating. The change in how the rest of your life feels because you’ve spent time in meditation makes it more than worth the investment.
About the Author
Dawn Ressel, founder of Aurora Love and Pure Potions, is a meditation coach and energy healer. She left her long-time job in corporate America to pursue her passions. She followed her inner guidance, which led her to assist others in their spiritual progression and healing. Dawn is a certified Healer, Life Activation practitioner, and Max Meditation(™) Instructor from the Modern Mystery School.
Connect or follow Dawn on Facebook and Instagram @dawnressel.
Check out the “Meditation and Personal Transformation During a Crisis” video.