The enigmatic practice of meditation, rooted in deep cultural and religious history as a pathway toward enlightenment, has found itself in modern times more commonly used to manage stress and induce relaxation. When you hear meditation, you often also hear the name of its associate or partner- mindfulness. Whereas meditation is a system intended to bring about a heightened state of awareness and focused attention, the latter describes a specific manner of living that is cultivated through this system.
In essence, being mindful is simply about being aware and grounding in the present moment. It is a deep awareness of one's conscious surroundings, feelings, emotions, reactions, and physical sensations.
Meditation is a process that allows you to slow down; to go inwardly, accessing deeper insights. In contrast to a time-out, it’s more of a time-in.
Now becomes the focus, and not tomorrow, the next day, or later in the day. Meditation is the training technique to cultivate mindfulness.
NEUROPLASTICITY
There are approximately 86 billion neurons in the human brain, and each one is capable of forming an exponential number of connections with other neurons, resulting in a complex network of hundreds of trillions of synapses. Also, your brain is capable of changing through growth and reorganization; a term referred to as neuroplasticity.
This leads to the good and the bad news about your brain: HABITS matter. How you live your life shapes your brain. For some, reading this is great news. For others, this may be the much needed "wake-up" call to exploring and making different choices. Your brain makes physical changes as a cumulative result of the activities you repeatedly do and the experiences you have.
Healthy habits and positive experiences will yield a very different outcome from that of unhealthy ones. Healthy habits both enhance and accelerate positive energy, which in turn, allow you to experience a heightened state of well-being. If as the saying goes Chance favors the prepared mind, then it's reasonable to suggest that PEACE favors the mindfully meditated mind.
Mental fatigue, in a fast-paced, fear of missing out (FOMO) culture, is the eventual sequelae to multi-tasking and lack of restorative sleep. Mental fatigue is also the by-product of day-to-day pressures, and has a cumulative negative effect on your brain’s executive functioning system.
EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING
The skills required for planning, organizing, paying attention, focusing, critical reasoning, decision making, following sequential directions, regulating emotions, and managing impulses are interconnected, complex and coordinated, and are referred to as executive functioning.
They are your control or supervisory center, located within the frontal and prefrontal lobes of your brain, representing a fairly large area consuming approximately 1/3 of the brain's cortical geography. They incrementally evolve as you navigate through the younger, developmental stages, with a full appreciation of their maturity in your mid 20s.
It is this structure within the brain that plays the most critical role in the success or failure of your endeavors. Executive functioning is enhanced through a regular meditation practice.
The FREQUENCIES
Brain waves of the various brain frequencies are measured by an electroencephalograph (EEG) test. These waves correspond to Greek letters and are delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma. It is the alpha brainwaves that are associated with a calm, relaxed, and creative state. They increase during meditation.
The NEUROTRANSMITTERS
Neurotransmitters, the body’s chemical messengers, are affected and enhanced during meditation.
There are many different types of meditation, mostly falling under the categories of guided and unguided (or silent) meditations. There is not a universally accepted or “best” method, but there are components to meditation that are consistent across practices.
They include: focused attention, breath awareness, quiet and comfortable setting, and an attitude of non-judgment or "observer."
The BENEFITs PACKAGE
There is a growing body of evidence supporting the mental and physical health benefits of meditation.
Although it is difficult to draw definitive conclusions and should never replace responsible medical care, a regular meditation practice has been shown to increase self awareness, reduce negative cognitions and emotions, and increase creativity. It also helps to ameliorate the effects of certain conditions and/or ones that may be exacerbated by stress.
Starting a meditation practice does not have to be complicated. A quiet place and a comfortable seat are all you need to begin this practice.
Sit or lie comfortably
Focus your attention on your breath and on how your body moves with each inhalation and exhalation
Breathe naturally
Notice when your mind and thoughts wander and bring your attention back to your breath
ADD AROMATHERAPY
Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils or other aromatic plant compounds for healing and wellness.
Essential oils and their use date back to ancient times. Certain fragrances have been shown to have a clinically quantifiable effect on mood. Incorporating aromatherapy into your meditation practice may help facilitate feelings of calm and relaxation through its primary processing pathway, the olfactory system. The olfactory bulb (an essential structure of the olfactory system) is directly connected to the amygdala and hippocampus, which explains why smells and fragrances are often powerfully connected to specific memories. For purposes of relaxation, lavender is typically the aromatherapy expert’s go-to scent. Other essential oils for relaxation include, but are not limited to:
Rose
Valerian
Jasmine
Chamomile
Ylang yang
It is recommended that you invest in pure essential oils and a good diffuser for maximum benefits.
WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR MIND WANDERS?
It is inevitable that your mind will wander and roam. You may also notice other sensations in your body. This is typical and certainly to be expected. When this occurs, simply notice your thoughts and where your mind is wandering to, and gently take a moment and pause. Without judgment, bring your mind to the present moment. Resume your meditation. With each practice, this will become easier, as new neural pathways will be formed. It is similar to muscles growing stronger through weight-lifting. The consistent practice of meditation increases attention and focus.
WHAT ABOUT A MOVING MEDITATION?
The physical practice of yoga can be viewed as a moving meditation, incorporating the steadiness, sound and depth of the Ujjayi (or ocean) breath to help connect the mind and body, and achieve calmness. Pranayama is the formal practice of controlling the breath, which is the source of prana (or life force). The importance of maintaining a steady, rhythmic breath is emphasized in yoga.
Here is a beginner’s guide to accessing this breath:
get into a comfortable seated position.
breathe in through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Imagine you are fogging a mirror with your breath.
when breathing, inhale to contract the diaphragm to create space for your lungs to expand, and when you exhale, relax the diaphragm and gently push the air from your lungs. Try to inhale and to exhale to a slow count of 4.
In conclusion, the regular practice of meditation, in its many forms, provides long lasting health benefits to the mind and body, including increasing volume in brain regions, reducing anxiety and depression, and improving immune function. The benefits are achieved in only 10 minutes per day; a nanoscopic investment in time as compared to its return on investment.
The information presented in this blog is intended for general knowledge
and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment.
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NEUROPLASTICITY
MEDITATION ESSENTIALS
ADD AROMATHERAPY
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