Talking about a practice as old as man is not an easy thing.
Human beings have been using it and personalizing it for the most diverse purposes for millennia, studying its benefits and new applications.
There is so much confusion about the practice of meditation, the common image we have of it is that of a guru sitting cross-legged in a clearing or a beautiful forest, wearing only a pair of light white trousers, with his eyes closed while taking very long breaths and he travels who knows where with his mind for hours and hours.
But it is a very limited view, I assure you.
You can also meditate sitting on the ground, on a chair, on the bed, lying down, with your eyes open, without "forcing yourself" to a particular respiratory rate, at home, in the office, in the park, on a bench, and even for a few minutes.
We must contextualize the practice with respect to the world we live in today, and carve out our moments of meditation in the midst of the frenzy of daily commitments and of the family.
Don't worry, we will still have some crazy benefits, which I now list and which (I want to say it for the skeptics) are confirmed by science.
Meditation can:
Fighting Depression and Anxiety
It reduces stress
Increase the concentration of gray matter in the brain
Help reduce alcoholism and drug addiction
Improve concentration, attention and the ability to work under stress
Improve information processing and decision making
Improve learning
Stimulate creativity
Reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke
Reduce blood pressure
Decrease inflammation at the cellular level
Help prevent asthma, rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel diseases
Reduce the metabolic syndrome
There are many, right? Already these would be enough to convince us to practice it but, think about it, they are just the tip of the iceberg.
The benefits ascertained by science are almost 80.
Yes, you read that correctly.
Well, what are you waiting for to start your meditation practice?
[Your goal is not to battle with the mind, but to witness the mind.]
Swami Muktananda
