Meditation is a habitual process that helps you train your mind to redirect thoughts and achieve mental clarity. However, that’s not the only thing that you can achieve with meditation. Recently, meditation has gained a lot of popularity as more people are discovering its numerous health benefits. Along with increasing awareness of your surroundings and yourself, you can use meditation for healing as well and keep your overall health at optimal levels.
If you are dealing with medical conditions like chronic pain, then you can use meditation for healing and improve your overall health. While some people have been able to experience drastic improvements with meditation, others appreciate its ability to reduce anxiety and stress. Meditation utilizes many visualization techniques as well depending on your health conditions.
This blog will act as your ultimate meditation guide as it contains all the necessary information and benefits of meditation that you will need to start meditating.
Meditation for Healing
Meditation is the deliberate focusing of attention to bring about feelings of calm and heightened energy and awareness. Regular meditation offers many health benefits; reduced stress and anxiety are among the top ones. In recent years, studies confirmed the positive effects and benefits of meditation for depression, insomnia, stress, and chronic pain. Different forms of meditation can help you according to your health conditions. However, the most remarkable thing to note here is that in several cases meditation has helped people cure their illnesses as well. [1]
Meditation Can Transform the Mind – Mind Can Transform the Body
Meditation for healing has been an area of keen interest for researchers all over the world. Numerous studies have successfully revealed the relationship between a healthy brain and meditation. It seems that the brains of people who have been meditating for years are wired differently than of people who are non-meditators. The purpose of meditation isn’t always to empty your mind or focus on your breathing. This type of meditation is usually known as passive meditation. While passive meditation is also very effective and helps you experience deeper relaxation, there are many other types of meditation practices that you can benefit from.
One of these types is active meditation which helps you focus on one particular thing intently for a specific period. You don’t need to spend hours here but can avail of its benefits by just spending a couple of minutes on it per day. This type of meditation helps you in becoming a more assertive person.
If you want to look at some more serious effects of meditation then consider this: the two regions of the brain i.e., the amygdala and prefrontal cortex are responsible for stress, anxiety, depression, and anger. When you are agitated, these two regions become overly active. On the other hand, the left prefrontal cortex is responsible for positivity, peace, happiness, and self-awareness. Studies have shown that people who are consistent meditators usually have a more active prefrontal cortex.
Moreover, the production of serotonin, or the “happy neurotransmitter” is also enhanced by meditation. Many clinical studies have demonstrated the link between meditation and the production of dopamine, which is the neurotransmitter responsible for producing feelings of reward and pleasure. [1]
Can Meditation Heal The Body?
Just like how exercise and movement benefit the body and help it heal in case of accidents or injuries, meditation helps in training your mind to provide deep healing benefits for your body. Studies have highlighted that meditation may reduce blood pressure as well as symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and flare-ups in people with ulcerative colitis. It may also ease symptoms of anxiety and depression and help people with insomnia. [3]
Using Meditation to Heal the Body
You can use meditation for healing for various medical and health conditions as it is believed to influence our sympathetic nervous system which keeps our heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration in check. If not controlled properly, these physical parameters can cause feelings of anxiety and stress. There is no doubt that stress and anxiety can cause various health conditions including digestive issues, high blood pressure, and insomnia.
Can Meditation Speed Up Healing?
In some cases, meditation can help individuals recover faster. Inflammation and pain can be dealt with in a good and faster way with regular meditation. Meditation for healing is a great way of achieving optimal health for your body, mind, and soul. It helps you get rid of built-up stress and anxiety, which leads to a better sense of wellbeing.
How Meditation Heals Your Mind?
Meditation helps your mind in staying focused and developing a positive outlook on life. It also helps in reducing stress and anxiety which, if not dealt with, can lead to other ailments. According to Trinlay Rinpoche, a meditation expert and scholar – meditation is one of the best ways to take care of one’s self including their mind, essence, and body. [1]
Meditation not only helps in making your life meaningful but also provides a natural healing mechanism. Many health conditions are caused due to stressed or imbalanced minds, which affect the susceptible parts of our bodies. By learning to work with the mind and managing different triggers that impact it, we can help our body in boosting its natural defenses.
Guided Meditation Techniques
If you are a beginner and don’t know which meditation form you should opt for then don’t worry. We are here with the best suggestions and solutions for you. For beginners, guided meditation is the best option. This is because guided meditation for healing offers you gentle instructions and a focal point that can help you let go of the self-judgment and truly connect with yourself.
Guided meditations involve the use of visualization and imagery. They are helpful for people who find typical meditations hard and challenging. These meditations are highly effective as they can help you access your subconscious mind and provide healing for health issues. Like hypnotherapy, guided meditation techniques are beneficial for your mental and physical wellbeing.
Now the question arises, how long should you meditate? It all depends on you and how much time you’d like to spare during the day. Sometimes you can only do a quick check-in, other times you might want to take a little longer and dive a little deeper. However, it is important to meditate every day as it lowers stress, builds awareness, and fosters resilience. Short meditation practices every day can help in cultivating this habit.
Preparing for Healing Meditation
As beginners, people often have trouble focusing and concentrating while meditating. They also face difficulty in finding the right posture. But you should not be afraid to experiment a bit because let’s be honest, there is no “right” way of doing it. It is all about finding a posture that is comfortable for you and helps you release stress.
When preparing for meditation for healing, the first thing you will need is to find a quiet space without any disruptions. Once you settle into a secluded spot, you can follow these steps:
- Dim the lights.
- Sit in a chair that is straight-backed with your head forward, bend your knees at a right angle, and place your hands on your thighs.
- You can also sit cross-legged or if you’re flexible enough, then you can also pretzel your legs into a comfortable lotus position. If you don’t find sitting comfortably then you can always lie down.
- Follow your breath as it goes in and out.
- Be kind to yourself and your mind and don’t obsess over what your thoughts should be and shouldn’t be.
- If you find yourself getting overwhelmed by your thoughts, then gently try to bring yourself back.
- You can also try chanting a mantra, such as, “Om Mani Padme Hum” which is a Tibetan healing mantra or just use simple words like “one”, “om”, or “calm” [5].
- You can try focusing on a focal point or simply close your eyes.
- Once you think you are done, gently open your eyes or lift your gaze and take a moment to notice your surroundings and sounds. Take a mental note of how your mind, body, thoughts, and emotions are feeling at that moment.
How Do I Start Healing In Meditation?
For anything to work, it’s important to believe in the process. Similarly, meditation can bring about some great and positive changes in your body and life, but it is important to have faith by opening yourself up to the process.
Meditation Techniques for Beginners
The process of meditation is quite easy and straightforward. Generally, all one has to do is close their eyes and focus on their breathing. However, many beginners tend to get annoyed and frustrated by their constant thoughts. A good tip here is to observe your thoughts as they enter your mind and then simply let them pass through.
Moreover, If you are a beginner then relaxation and breathing meditation methods are ideal for you. To start with breathing meditation, all you need to do is breathe deeply from the abdomen and focus all your attention on it. Next, inhale slowly through the nose and exhale slowly through the mouth.
Relaxation meditation on the other hand requires you to consciously visualize the tension releasing from the body. It begins from the top i.e. your head and moves slowly down to your toes.
Benefits of Meditation
There are many benefits of meditation such as:
- Meditating regularly can help you gain new and positive perspectives on life and other stressful situations.
- You can develop new skills to manage your stress.
- It helps in increasing self-awareness.
- It keeps you grounded and helps you focus on the present.
- You can get rid of negative energy and emotions through meditation.
- You will notice a positive inclination and an increase in your creativity and imagination.
- Meditation increases your tolerance and patience.
- Many athletes rely on meditation to improve their athletic performance.
- Your ability to focus improves, which results in a better understanding of your thought process.
- Many people have turned to meditation to deal with severe medical conditions including chronic pain, headaches, asthma, depression, high blood pressure, insomnia, and heart diseases.
Conclusion
Meditation for healing is an effective way of enhancing wellness, and has no side effects, unlike many medical procedures. Moreover, regular exercise, a balanced sleeping schedule, and a healthy diet can help you enhance the effects of meditation. Just remember meditation, like any other practice, takes time and you don’t need to be perfect at it in the first go.
