Reasons for the Emerging Interest in Meditation

Meditation is becoming far more commonplace in daily life as we strive to find profound and natural responses to combat stress and enhance our physical well-being. There are professions dedicated to personal development and diminishing stress, enhancing individuals, bonding communities, and even practises that aim to nurture workplaces.

These practices don't only aim to level our stress levels and increase our positive outlook, but they are vital to keeping a balanced and healthy immune system.

Most Important Physical Affects of Meditation

Mental conditions such as stress, anxiety, and depression can ruin your immune response, limiting your body from producing the chemicals and elements needed to fight off bacterial infections and viruses. Meditation and mindfulness can improve your immunity to simple sicknesses, but in the bigger picture, they can prevent more serious physical ailments and diseases later in life.

Meditation is vital, and with the practice of mindfulness, the results are even more potent.

Intersection of Mindfulness and Meditation

Where Mindfulness and Meditation Meet

Mindfulness is a skill that is commonly enhanced and nurtured through meditation. It is commonly defined as the skill of being attentive to what is happening to you in the present moment. Through acceptance, non-judgmental perception, and a composed assessment of emotions, internal mental states and thoughts, mindfulness brings calmness, which can be felt both mentally and physically.

This state of mind can be achieved more clearly through meditation, and when you are there, you will be able to regulate your negative emotions and find their source. It is not exclusively a healing process, as the practice of mindfulness is aimed at balancing your stress and learning how to overcome any problems that come your way in a composed and calm manner.

MBSR: Blending Mindfulness and Meditation

MBSR - Where Mindfulness and Meditation Meet

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction is a proven process to help individuals manage their stress. It is commonly referred to by chronic stress sufferers as a means of overcoming their stress levels and regulating their negative emotions. The program is also well-documented for strengthening immune systems. As stress typically has adverse effects on your health and immune system, MBSR is also good for individuals who want to improve their physical health.

Purpose of MBSR

In its essence, MBSR is a program that combines specialised yoga with mindfulness exercises, body scanning, and self-exploration. The goal is to enhance the mindfulness of an individual so that they are better prepared to handle daily stresses and anxieties.

How Stress Affects Physical Health

Stress produces a hormone called cortisol, which can compromise your body's ability to produce white blood cells. Cortisol can reduce inflammation and enhance your immune response, but after sustained periods of stress, it quickly becomes dangerous for your body.

This is because you need those white blood cells to fend off viral infections. Long periods of stress lead to reduced immune function, so you will be more vulnerable to illness and find it harder to recover. Further down the road, it can lead to cardiovascular problems and inflammatory ailments.

Where Mindfulness and Meditation Benefit You Physically

The physical advantages of meditation and mindfulness are just as important as what you feel mentally. Meditation is well known to release endorphins, relieving physical pains and improving your feeling of well-being.

Mindfulness allows you to soak up your negative thoughts, reducing your stress and, therefore, regulating your body's production of cortisol. Releasing the bad energies and accepting the positive will improve your inner energy and your body's ability to fight infections and stay healthy.

Mindful Meditation

There are different ways that people meditate, but ultimately, the goal is the same. The purpose is to reach a sense of peace and acceptance, and by using that elevated state of being, you will not feel any more stress or anxiety.

Body Scanning and Mindful Moving

Using yoga postures and stretching can help to relax your body, at which point meditation and mindfulness become easier. On a more physical level, it alleviates your nervous system by releasing the tensions and stresses stored in your muscles.

Regulating Breathing and Exercises

Focused breathing will immediately bring down your blood pressure and heart rate, which are also crucial components of meditation. Breathing exercises have been shown to reduce cortisol levels, nullify stresses and improve immune response.

Social MBSR Practices

MBSR is not just a series of practises and techniques for individuals, but a core aspect is its community building. Creating groups where individuals can share their experiences helps build your socialising needs and breaks down the sense of isolation that can produce stress. It also helps you learn and hone your meditation skills and share your findings with others.

Practising Self-Awareness

All of the practises listed above work towards enhancing your self-awareness. This is the principle of mindfulness, as you will have a greater perception of your own struggles and can fight stress better.

Get Started with Meditation and Feel the Benefits Instantly

These key exercises and programs are useful for improving your health, and there is no better time to start than now.

They are not the reserve of chronic stress sufferers or people who are sick. If you begin your journey to mindfulness through meditation, you will find that in the long run, your body will be better prepared to fight sickness, and your levels of stress will diminish significantly.

Keep reading