More people today are taking medications to help with anxiety and stress but these drugs come with some serious side effects. An alternative to medicating yourself is to learn about mediation in Point Pleasant or where you are.

Understanding meditation

For many people in the western world, meditation is just a vague concept, one that not many consider trying. Some think it is about relaxation, but really it is about having concentrated focus at that moment. It is more than clearing the mind and blocking out the world, though in some cases that happens too. There are different forms of meditation and some do involve emptying the mind, but others are about deep thinking.

Common methods of meditation

1. Guided meditation - Also called guided imagery or visualization it involves painting a picture and using as many of the senses as possible. People new to this method may need help from a teacher at first.
2. Mantra meditation - Used commonly by Buddhists it consists of chanting a mantra, a phrase or word to avoid being distracted. While it sounds easy in principle it can take months of practice to get to the point where your mind does not keep wandering during the mantra.
3. Mindfulness meditation - Rather than being about escaping from the world this is about increasing your awareness of the now. You will focus on your breathing, emotions, passing thoughts but do not linger on them in detail, letting them go.
4. Heart rhythm meditation - Using controlled breathing that you focus on you coordinate your heart rate with your breathing to lower your stress and anxiety. There are different patterns or beats to learn from an expert in meditation in Brick.
5. Transcendent meditation - A popular form and it involves a mantra but it is different from the mantra method as the mantra is not to block out things but to slow down mental function, to relax.

Exercises that include meditation techniques are;

• Yoga - Yoga is not a method of meditation but there are exercises and techniques in meditation that use meditation including breathing and developing a calm mind as well as a calm body.
• Tai chi - This is a Chinese martial art that is a series of gentle and slow movements along with deep breathing. It is sometimes called moving meditation for that reason.

What the different methods have in common

Some of the more common aspects of meditation are;

• Deep breathing - Taking slow deep breaths from the stomach, relaxing and taking in more oxygen which calms the mind and body
• Being in the right position - Some methods have strict positions to follow and some are a lot less exact but if you are trying meditation in Point Pleasant in your own space, consider just being comfortable
• A focus in attention - Focussing on an image, a sound, a feeling can help clear the mind and relax you.
• A peaceful environment - Having fewer distractions for any kind of meditation does help!

The benefits to your health

There are many good reasons to learn medita not just to reduce anxiety and stress. They include;

• Improved energy levels
• Lowering your blood pressure
• A better immune system so dealing with less cold and infections
• Better focus and concentration
• Improved sleep
• Less tense physically
• Better memory
• Feeling more positive in general