The purpose of meditation is to strengthen your mind. Most people think of consciousness as something we “just do," but conscious awareness can be strengthened just as a muscle can be strengthened; and meditation provides a workout for your mind. We can learn how to transform our mind from negative to positive, from disturbed to peaceful, from unhappy to happy. Overcoming negative minds and cultivating constructive thoughts is the purpose of the transforming meditations found in the Buddhist tradition. Meditating a few minutes each day is a proven stress reducer, and it can improve your view of life as well.



Meditation involves focusing the mind and paying attention. This attention may be directed towards a word, sound, picture, prayer or your breath. This focus allows the mind to settle into the present moment, decreasing the many stressful thoughts that bring us into the past or future. An analogy can be made with a radio dial. The static represents numerous thoughts of the day that preoccupy the mind and meditation is a tool that allows fine tuning of the dial so that the music and thoughts of the inner self can be heard more clearly.

Tips

* Meditate on an empty stomach. Food has been found to inhibit the beneficial physiologic effects on the body.

* If able, meditate with a friend, spouse or relative.

Breath Control:

While learning how to meditate, you will learn the techniques of proper breath control as your body relaxes. The idea behind this is to get you to sustain steady breathing consciously as you focus on the process. By doing this, you will make a major positive difference to your digestive system, blood circulation and also develop an immunity to various other ailments.

Relax every muscle in your body. Don't rush this, as it takes time to fully relax, and relax bit by bit, starting at your toes, and working up to your head. Take a meditation retreat of at least a few days. Some of these are silent, others are not. Once you experience the feel of actually meditating, you will better know how and if it applies to your life. Some of the benefits of meditation such as concentration. Knowledge of self is also benefits of meditation. Creates a state of deep relaxation and general feeling of wellbeing is benefits of meditation.

These are some of the benefits of meditation:

1. Improved concentration - A clear mind makes you more productive, especially in creative disciplines like writing.

2. Less bothered by little things - Do you sometimes allow yourself to get upset by little things? It is the nature of the mind to magnify small things into serious problems. Meditation helps us detach. We learn to live in the here and now, rather than worrying about the past or future. We do not worry about meaningless things, but see the bigger picture.