From a young age, my mother would harass me saying how I should meditate as it could help with the anxiety I suffered from. As far as I was concerned, my anxiety couldn’t be controlled. When the moment struck, it completely consumed me and would lead to migraines, panic attacks, an unhealthy obsession to constantly clean around me – anything that took my mind off of my troubles from within. My constant anxiety of not being able to take a full breathe, to my mind constantly flitting from one issue to the other, dealing with stress no one my age should have to deal with but it occurs across the world.
I snapped out of the teenager mentality of whatever my mum said would go through one ear and out the other. One day I woke up and thought “Why the hell haven’t I tried out meditation?” So I gave it a go. After the first two sessions of meditation I kept expecting a dramatic change, until I realised it is a process for everyone, one that I learnt slowly but surely.
Meditation positively affects the mind, body and spirit.
Meditation for your spirit
Builds upon your self-knowledge
Increases compassion and empathy
Encourages relationship satisfaction
Meditation for your body
Decreases pain and eases inflammation
Boosts your immune system
Reduces heart risk
Meditation for your mind
Better focus and concentration
Boosts your cognitive function
But these three aspects crossover and this also means meditations benefits crossover. So, meditation also reduces depression and loneliness, eases stress and anxiety, can help you sleep, fosters a healthy body image. Meditation actually changes your brain for the better, allowing you to use reasoning in a measured and rational manner than being too overemotional and looking at a situation through blurred lenses.