Meditation

I've heard about meditation in primary school for the first time when my grandmother got the idea that we all take part in the course Transcendental meditation. It sounded interesting for me, but I didn't decide to participate because it was during my school activities.  However, this was my first introduction to this mysterious activity. 

On the one hand, it seems that a meditation is know all over the world and everybody is doing it. I read about it everywhere, I am watching different videos about it and I am listening to all positive sides of meditation. But on the other hand, I noticed that a lot of young adults aren't familiar with meditation, even despite all accessible information. It is still one of those activities that they know little about or they even think that this is a boring activity, without a meaning or weird one.

It is true that we know a lot about effects of meditation, but at the same time, we know nothing. It is complicated. We have a lot of information, but the conclusions are still unclear, especially because we know and use so many different meditation techniques. Despite all, regular meditation influences on our body functioning, because meditation reduces oxygen consumption, improves the effectiveness of gas exchanging in the lungs, slows down the heart rate and breathing rhythm, reduces blood pressure, improves blood flow and even the immune system. A meditation is also beneficial with a different disease like asthma, stutter and premenstrual syndrome.

But please don't think that I want to convince you to start meditating. You need to have your own opinion and you have the possibility to think on your own. Everyone needs to know what they like and what suits them. I just want to tell you a little bit more about this kind of relaxation, which I use sometimes. But not always... I also loosen up with sport, yoga or comedy serial. It all depends on my mood. While I study I sometimes need a slightly different break, which helps me to calm down, to relax, to get new energy, to forget my task from a 'To-do list' and most importantly to concentrate. So I chose meditation. 

Recently I meditate mostly in the evenings, before bedtime. Sometimes I even fall asleep with headphones in my ears. But I have to tell you that I am consistent with my meditation routine for a couple of weeks now since I have decided to find a cure for my problematic skin, which isn't how I wish it would be. But about this some other time... I can only tell you that I have tried a lot of different ways, which still haven't led me to an appropriate conclusion. That's why I decided to try out this slightly different way of psychological relaxation and I am hoping that the results will be seen on the outside. Meditation supposed to have a beneficial effect on hormonal imbalance, which could be the cause for my skin problems.

MINDFULNESS MEDITATION  is one of the most popular meditations at the moment. With it, we learn how to be aware at the present moment, which also effects on individual's attention. This kind of meditation is also used in psychotherapeutic practice for successfully managing stress level. Unfortunately, I don't have any information how psychotherapist does this practice, but I can tell you my own way of mindfulness meditation, which I occasionally perform. 

I call this meditation REDIRECTING AN ATTENTION ON OUR SENSATION. It is very simple and short technique, but also very effective. You will become more sensitive to stimuli and begin to process information quicker. Imagine: 

• 5 things that you hear
• 5 things that you see
• 5 things that you taste
• 5 things that you touch 
• 5 things that you smell

Before starting each meditation you have to make sure that you are comfortable wherever you are and that others won't disturb you during your relaxing time. You have to feel cozy in a lovely atmosphere, which you can liven up with a candle, a quiet background music or a small lamp that is not too bright. And also you can open the window for a minute or two and breathe some fresh air.

But most often I do a ten minutes meditation before sleep, which also helps me to regulate daily emotions. I think that for a beginner it's easier to start with some GUIDED MEDITATION, like this one. Try it, listen to the voice and relax. You will see if this suits you. Maybe this voice will be irritating for you, so you just need to pick a different one. There are so many options and opportunities to find the right meditation for you. 

I read a review about Kindness based meditation and found out that this is something more than just a relaxing technique. With this meditation, we encourage positive emotions, influence on our health, well-being, awareness, social connections and compassion. 

So, even if we don't know about the exact effect of meditation, we can say for sure, that it is not adversely. Try it and you will see. 

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Saša

       

Source: Galante, J. and Galante, I. (2014). Effect of kindness-based meditation on health and well-being: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal and Counseling and Clinical Psychology, 8(82), 1101-1114. 

Dimic, L. (2011). Na kratko o znanstvenem proučevanju meditacije. Retrieved from http://www.sinapsa.org/radovedni/prispevki/Na_kratko_o_znanstvenem_prou%C4%8Devanju_meditacije