Meditation in some form is essential to live a less distressed life. Meditation refreshes and resets our mind. It helps us to feel well. It helps to nourishes and cleanses from within. It develops clarity of thought and your patience level. Meditation is a natural stabilizer. It promotes emotional health and well-being.

In these distressful coronavirus times, it is best to re-visit the great benefits that can be derived out of meditation.

Mental Benefits of Meditation

• It decreases Anxiety issues.
• It improves Emotional stability
• It increases creativity
• It increases happiness
• It develops Intuition
• It gives you peace of mind
• Meditation sharpens the mind by gaining focus while expanding through relaxation
• A sharp mind without expansion causes tension, anger and frustration
• An expanded consciousness without sharpness can lead to lack of action/progress
• The balance of a sharp mind and an expanded consciousness brings perfection

According to Buddhist philosophy meditation is NOT a gain of something; however, it is loss of negative thoughts, worries, anxiety, depression, fear of old age and death.

Benefits of Using Mala Beads

Meditating with mala makes the process easier as it provides a foundation, a ground, an object upon which to collect your wandering mind. This helps calm the mind and regulate blood pressure. Mala beads are a great tool to help focus your attention.

It encourages a calmer mind, body, and soul. It promotes positive and spiritual thought patterns.

How to meditate with mala beads?

• Close your eyes, sit straight and hold the mala on you right or left hand,
• Turn each bead in between your middle finger and thumb
• Repeat your mantra (either out loud or in your head) once on each bead.
• Move your fingers to the next bead, repeat your mantra out loud, as a whisper, or silently in your mind.
• When you reach the guru bead, pause,
• Take that as an opportunity to honor your guru or yourself for taking the time to meditate,
• This is one round. Now, turn the mala around and begin turning the beads again as from points 2 to 7.
• Do as many rounds as you feel comfortable

Many psychologists agree on the effectiveness of meditation in reducing physical and mental disturbance. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) a mindful meditation reduces pain in the body. They found that combining meditation with medication for treating pain like osteoarthritis, headaches, and other chronic pains and anxieties can be useful for providing long-term remedies.

Does it Help with Stress?

Here is a brief outline of how meditation helps in reducing stress:

• Meditation helps in controlling blood circulation
• Regulating the hormonal balance, meditation prevents diseases like hypothyroidism, diabetes, and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).
• Meditation helps in sleep cycle.
• Replaces the negative automatic thoughts with positive ones.
• Makes us feel more energetic and ‘in-control’ of ourselves, even during times of distress.

Conclusion

Undoubtedly, Meditation is one of the best ways to calm our mind storms. Meditation has many scientifically proven benefits – both physically and mentally. It is a natural remedy to a variety of issues confronting human health.