We explain why you should meditate a little every day.
Meditative practices have a long history , dating back to their probable origin in ancient India, within the Hindu tradition. From there, it spread especially throughout Asia, usually accompanying religions such as Buddhism. Today, the scientific community has verified several of the benefits of meditation on health.
In this article we will talk about different types of meditation, as well as what are the benefits of this practice.
What is meditation?
Today it is fashionable to meditate . This makes it much more accessible to start in this type of practice that is so beneficial for physical and mental health, which is even being adopted in therapeutic circles (such as Mindfulness-based therapies).
There is no single form of meditation , nor are the benefits of each one exactly the same. Depending on our goal when meditating, it is likely that there is some type of practice that attracts us more attention, be it for comfort, familiarity, sociological or even spiritual context.
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benefits of meditation
Meditation has long been viewed by many skeptics as an exercise of very limited usefulness, a holdover from religious and ceremonial practices of the past. Fortunately, the scientific community is correcting the general view of meditation, which opens the door for this type of beneficial practice to reach a greater number of people.
Among the multiple benefits of meditation proven by science, we can highlight:
1. Stress reduction
It has been scientifically proven that meditation is capable of reducing the inflammatory response derived from stress and the high levels of cortisol that it generates, aggravating many inflammatory processes.
Taking into account the harmful effects of constant stress in our lives, such as poorer cardiovascular health, poorer cognitive ability or the greater probability of developing disorders such as depression or anxiety, meditation becomes a very useful tool to maintain our physical health. to 100%.
2. Improved emotional state
Some disorders, such as those related to anxiety (such as phobias, social anxiety, obsessive behaviors…) are significantly relieved in those who practice meditation on a regular basis.
In addition, meditation exercises, such as Mindfulness, are effective in reducing the intensity of depressive feelings. Also, some types of meditation promote a high and positive emotional state, such as “Metta” meditation.
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3. Improves memory and attention span
Memory loss linked to old age is slowed down in those who practice meditation. This is especially true of those types of meditation that involve repetitive practice, such as the repetition of a mantra or hand poses.
Both in elderly people and in young people, the capacity for attention is substantially increased in those people who practiced meditation on a daily basis. At the work level, this translates into being able to work at a higher level of concentration for longer.
4. Helps relieve pain
Through functional analysis of brain magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), it was possible to discern that those people who had spent a few days practicing mindfulness techniques had greater brain activity in areas related to pain control .
The patients themselves stated during the study that they had a decreased sensation of pain. Meditation can also help reduce the pain caused by some chronic diseases.
5. Can lower blood pressure
High blood pressure can be a serious health problem. Over time, it contributes to cardiovascular diseases such as arteriosclerosis. Meditation is effective in lowering, on average, five points of blood pressure.
These effects were observed not only during meditation , but also lasted over time, especially in those who meditate regularly.
8 common types of meditation
Given the age of this practice and its subjective nature, there are many different ways to meditate . In this article we mention some of the best known today, but the types of meditation can be countless, depending on their origins, objectives and methodology.
1. Vipassana
Vipassana -type meditation is of Buddhist origin . Vipassana means, in the Pali language, something like clear vision. In the West, this type of meditation has become an integral part of the practices simply known as “Mindfulness”.
This English word means something like “mindfulness”, referring to the fact that during these meditative practices mindfulness is paid to the breath, especially in the early stages of the meditative process.
2. Zazen (Zen)
The Buddhist tradition of Zen meditation is well known. Zazen is a Japanese word meaning “sitting meditation” or “sitting Zen”. Its roots come from the Chinese version of Zen Buddhism, the so-called Chan Buddhism.
This meditation is characterized by the attention paid to the breath, but also to the practice of “Shinkantaza”, the ability to simply observe reality without passing judgment or thinking about it. Live in the moment as much as possible.
3. Metta
Metta meditation is also well known in the West, in part for its influence on the mindfulness movement . Metta is a word that means goodness, kindness, or good will. In English it is also known as “Loving Kindness Meditation”, in Spanish it has been named in many different ways, such as “meditation of loving kindness”.
This type of meditation helps to improve the empathetic capacity of those who practice it, in addition to improving the general state of mind and the perception of oneself.
4. Mantra
Mantras are vocalizations , usually without particular meaning, used primarily to focus the mind’s attention. Mantra meditation sometimes requires very precise vocal and postural control.
They are used in various monastic traditions, such as in Hindu, Buddhist or Taoist culture. It is sometimes known as “om meditation”, but “om” is simply one of the mantras that can be used.
5. Transcendental
Transcendental meditation is a type of meditation that uses mantras, popularized by Yogi Maharishi Mahesh through celebrities of the day, such as the famous pop-rock band “The Beatles”, for whom he was a guru.
Currently this type of meditation is widely practiced in the West, but unlike other types of meditation, you will hardly find someone who can teach you this for free.
6. Yogic meditation
The meditation used in the field of yoga can be classified as “yogic meditation”, but there are a huge number of types of meditation included within this term. The tradition of Yoga has very ancient roots, between 2,500 and 4,000 years.
Within the classical practice of Yoga, meditation forms a basic pillar , along with the rules of behavior, physical postures (asanas) and breathing exercises (pranayama). One of the most popular types of meditation within Yoga is the “third eye meditation”, where it is necessary to focus our attention on the point between our eyebrows, to quiet the mind.
7. Self-knowledge
This type of meditation, in English known as “self-inquiry” meditation, was popularized in the West by Ramana Maharshi in the 20th century. The main goal of this type of meditation is to gain knowledge about oneself.
8. Taoists
There are several Taoist meditation practices, which are tied to the philosophy and principles of the Taoist religion . Its goal is to improve health as much as possible, to achieve a long life. This type of meditation usually has an important visualization component of the body itself and its mechanisms, such as breathing.
Bibliographic references
- Chételat, G., Lutz, A., Arenaza-Urquijo, E., Collette, F., Klimecki, O., & Marchant, N. (2018). Why could meditation practice help promote mental health and well-being in aging?. Alzheimer’s research & therapy, 10(1), 57. doi:10.1186/s13195-018-0388-5.
- Sharma H. (2015). Meditation: Process and effects. Ayu, 36(3), 233–237. doi:10.4103/0974-8520.182756.
- Jain, F. A., Walsh, R. N., Eisendrath, S. J., Christensen, S., & Rael Cahn, B. (2015). Critical analysis of the efficacy of meditation therapies for acute and subacute phase treatment of depressive disorders: a systematic review. Psychosomatics, 56(2), 140–152. doi:10.1016/j.psym.2014.10.007.
- Khalsa, D. (2015). Stress, Meditation, and Alzheimer’s Disease Prevention: Where The Evidence Stands. Journal Of Alzheimer’s Disease, 48(1), 1-12. doi:10.3233/jad-142766.
To the classic question “what do you do?” I always answer “basically I am a psychologist”. In fact, my academic training has revolved around the psychology of development, education and community, a field of study influenced my volunteer activities, as well as my first work experiences in personal services.