Meditation : A Boon for our Mental health!

The everyday challenges and chronic stress in your life regarding work- life or personal life can take a toll on your mental health. Therefore, it have become very important to look after mental health and discuss its various issues. Mental health in our country India have always gone unspoken, many people don't feel free to discuss these issues as they fear that they will be judged as weak and inferior by the society if they disclose their problems. Thus, as a responsible citizen it is the duty of each one of us to discuss about mental health issues and ways to improve it.

However, it is a proven fact that some people are more vulnerable to mental illness while others are not. Due to genetics, social factors, personality or environment some are more mentally strong while others are more vulnerable to stress and are more likely to develop depression or anxiety. Although, you cannot fully change your environment, genes, family factors or personality (introvert and extrovert) but their is one thing which you can do, that is making yourself mentally strong and fight back. Just as to get strong immunity against diseases you need to do physical exercises, to develop strong mental health you need to do mental exercise and while talking about mental exercises there is one thing that you must practice everyday for getting effective results and that thing is "Meditation".

"You should sit in meditation for 20 minutes everyday - unless you are too busy. Then you should sit for an hour".

                                                                                                     - Zen Proverb

MEANING OF MEDITATION

Meditation can be described as a mental exercise in which we try to be present at the moment or try to focus on current moment, it can be concentrating on one's breath or repetition of a mantra, etc. It is basically a thoughtless state which is not sleep or samadhi but person is completely under control, meditation is to be fully aware and fully present in your current moment, it is to be present and thoughtless at that moment.

So, when you are totally present in your moment and are thoughtless and able to concentrate on one thing means you are meditating. It is the most widely discussed and old mental exercise under which you are not in your sleep but awake, you are thoughtless and able to concentrate, you are present in your current moment.

HISTORY AND ORIGIN

Meditation is a very ancient practice and it is believed to be originated in India itself several thousands years ago. The rishis during ancient times used to meditate for several hours or even days by repeating mantras. Although the word "Meditation" came into existence around 12th century AD, it was formed using the latin word "Meditatum". The most old images of Meditation from India depicts people sitting in meditative postures with their eyes closed presumed to be in deep meditation. However, meditation and its forms are also referenced from 3rd century BC linked to Chinese philosophers, Buddha and Zen monks have been also doing deep meditation from the ancient times. There are many forms of meditation originated by Buddhists in India several years ago. Infact there is a very popular quote about meditation - "If you don't have time to meditate for an hour everyday, you should meditate for two hours" by Zen masters indicating that how crucial meditation is referred for busy people in order to maintain a healthy life.

Although meditation is being originated in India and practiced by Hindus and Buddhists at first sight, but it is not correct linking it to any one religion or culture as there are multiple references across various religions including Judaism, Islam and Christianity as well which seem to have contributed to it and that's why meditation is widely known all around the world since ages in almost every religion or culture.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF MEDITATION

1- Mindfulness Meditation

this is a type of meditation in which you just focus on your feelings and thoughts coming in the moment, you don't judge them but just focus on them, let them come and pass. This type of meditation is a mental exercise helps you in controlling overthinking and negative thoughts. Practicing mindfulness everyday will help you to reduce stress, it is one of the most famous technique practiced by Zen and Buddhist monks since ages.

2- Focused Meditation

under this type of meditation, you focus your attention on any object or any sensation such as breathing. It is believed to be most suitable techniques for beginners as it does not require any previous training. Under this you intently focus on something to stay in your present moment and slow down your inner dialogue, this way you get to control your overthinking and stress. Usually people focus on their breath while doing focused meditation, however apart of breath  you can focus on any sound or object also.

3- Movement Meditation

although meditation is generally concerned with sitting still, under most forms of meditation you just sit at one position or posture but there is another technique of meditation developed for those who find peace in doing any action and that technique is called movement meditation. Under this type of meditation you focus on any action such as walking, gardening, yoga or other gentle forms of movement, this is an active form of meditation where the movement you do will connect you with the present moment.

4- Mantra Meditation

it is a common technique of meditation since the ancient days of both Hindu and Buddhism cultures. Under this type of meditation you repetitively pronounce any mantra and focus on that, here the sound produced by you will connect you with your present moment. That mantra or sound can be "Om" or any other of your choice. You can chant mantra loudly or quietly as you wish to, this technique is very useful as you can experience deeper levels of awareness and feel close to god.

5- Loving- Kindness Meditation

under this form of meditation mind is focused on sending and receiving love or well wishes to relatives, friends and other people. This is a different kind of meditation as it emphasis on compassion, love and kindness. Here you need to sit and relax then develop love and well wishes for other people (even those whom you don't like) and then you send wishes to them mentally and in the same way assume that you are too getting love and well wishes from them. As this technique helps to develop kindness, forgiveness and love for others it is said to be ideal for those people who holds a lot of anger and grudges in their heart, eventually with regular practice it will help you to clear your mind.

6- Visualization Meditation

under this form of meditation feelings of peace and relaxation is created by focusing on positive scenes, images and figures. It is a method of picturing positive images, ideas, symbols or even mantras to help calm the mind and concentrate on the present moment. The main difference between this and traditional way of meditation is that this technique is more active as here your focus is on engaging your imagination and creating imagery in your mind.

MEDITATION AND MENTAL HEALTH

Meditation is not a new thing, for thousands of years people have practiced it for achieving physical, mental and spiritual well being or goals. But now it has a scientific backing as well, years ago a Harvard MRI study concluded that people who took 8 weeks meditation course developed a thicker grey matter in the areas of brains, according to the experts meditation changes the way that the brain works it shrinks the regions of the brain associated with stress, anxiety and intolerance. As a result people who daily meditate lead a better life with increased confidence, satisfaction from life, mental peace and happiness, thus chances of developing mental illness becomes very less in those people.

Studies have proved that meditation can alter your reaction to stress, panic and anxiety in your daily life. It is proven to change regions of your brain that are specifically linked to mental health issues such as depression, bipolar, paranoia, OCD, etc. Scientists have concluded that the medical prefrontal cortex (m PFC) becomes hyperactive when you are in stress, panic or depression, this "m PFC" is also called "me center" as this is where you start worrying about your future or feeling guilt regarding your past. On the other hand there is another region associated with mental health, called "amygdala" or "fear center". This part is responsible for flight response which triggers adrenal glands and then stress, anxiety and panic is released in response to danger or fear. Both these regions work off each other and as a result mental health collapse, but research shows that meditation helps in breaking connection between these two brain regions and as a result mental health remains stable.

Another study showed that people who meditate daily protects a brain area involved in memory called "hippocampus". This can protect you from several mental illness issues like "Schizophrenia" in which person lost touch from the reality and have decrease in memory and concentration too.

Thus, along with our scriptures and vedas now meditation have scientific backing too and as now a days time is very harsh day to day life stress, competition and anger is taking a toll in your mind eventually making you vulnerable to mental illness, it will not be wrong to say that meditation is a boon for mental health. Basically just like you workout to get body in shape, meditation is a workout for brain. One of the best quote about the importance of meditation for our mind is in the words of St. Francis de Sales-

"Where there is peace and meditation, there is neither anxiety nor doubt".

BENEFITS OF MEDITATION

1- Meditation can help us keep our mind under control.

the main cause and origin of most of the mental health issues starts from stress, overthinking, jealousy, comparison from others even you do know that these things are not good but still you are unable to control your mind from such negativity and as a result your mental health gets effected in the long run. Most of the time mind is busy in comparison from others, thinking about past or making plans about future. Although mind is your tool and you must control it but most of the time it controls you, however through meditating daily you can control your mind and thoughts running in it. Then mind will not control you but you will control it.

2- Meditation reserves our brain's energy.

if you notice cautiously, you will see that most of the time due to various personal or professional reasons your mind is involved in anger, stress and worries as a result a large part of your energy is wasted and cells or muscles are also destructed. But the people who involve themselves in meditation reserves their energy, their brain and whole body feel relaxed, also their cells and muscles don't face much exhaustion as a result their energy is reserved and not wasted on unnecessary things, thus this way meditation improves their work productivity also.

3- Meditation reduces anxiety and stress.

stress and anxiety are becoming common in the lives of today's generation, thinking about anything again and again badly effects your mental health, be it thinking about any work, person, problem or job daily creates tension and then tension further gives rise to anger and all these interconnected things one by one takes a toll on your mental health. Meditation on the other hand, decreases the intensity of thoughts in mind and by daily meditating you will think less about any problem, focus on present and act more effectively towards the solution. And when you will act more and think less you will get to see that anxiety, stress, overthinking, etc. is decreasing from your life and you are rather more focused towards the solution not the problem.

4- Meditation helps us to live in the present.

meditation helps you to live in your present moment. It helps you to be conscious in your present moment, the basic principle of meditation is to live and be conscious in the present moment. The people who meditate daily gets out of the past and future thoughts, they are rather more focused towards their present. Most of the mental health issues like stress, anxiety and even depression occurs because most of the time people think about past or future due to which they do not enjoy their present. But meditation on the other hand teaches us to live in the present and enjoy it, forget about past bad things and don't worry about future.

5- Meditation develops love and reduces hatred, jealousy and anger.

there have been several studies that people who gets involve in meditation develop feelings of love and compassion towards others, they get to see the world and their life from a different perspective. Initially when you will meditate and reduces "me center" under you then gradually you will see that jealousy, hatred and anger within you will reduce. All these things at many times pushes you towards mental illness only, you neither feel satisfied nor happy. Therefore, it is often advised to meditate in order to maintain a peaceful, satisfied and happy life.

6- Meditation teaches us forgiveness.

forgiveness is very important for a good mental health, when you forgive then only you get to forget the bad things happened with you in past, hence forgiveness is essential. Most of you at times hold several grudges inside you and because of that you get yourself engaged in anger, hatred, feelings of vengeance but what most of you don't realize is that these things deteriorate your mental health only. Hence, it is often advised to forgive not for others but for your own good, and focus on present. People who meditate often forgive and thus saves a lot of mental energy they also have a peaceful and happier life as compared to the others.

7- Meditation increases Self confidence.

one of the main reason for self doubt is comparing yourself to others or if someone has made you feel inferior in the past, you take that in your heart and slowly starts to believe in their opinions. While sometimes you get unconfident by remembering your past failures again and again or you think that you will not get success in the future either. In this way you break your confidence and starts doubting yourself, then you get very stressed up and surrounded by hatred, jealousy and anger. All these things together badly effects your mental health and productivity, some people even get into depression because they develop inferiority complex, overthinking and anxiety at an early age. But daily meditation helps you in clearing your old negative thoughts and makes space for positivity through which confidence increases. By daily meditation you can surely reprogram your mind and increase self confidence.

8- Meditation boosts our memory and concentration power.

it is proven through several studies that people doing daily meditation have strong memory power and have less chances to develop diseases like "schizophrenia". Several experiments and tests have shown that people who daily meditate have a strong memory power. On the other hand, you may have noticed this fact that mind cannot remain thoughtless even for a few seconds, there is always something going in it every time, as a result some face a lot of difficulty in concentration, but through meditation the frequency of thoughts can be controlled and as a result you can have better concentration power also.