Meditation: A simple way to reduce stress

Meditation has been practiced for thousands of years.  Nowadays meditation is practiced for relaxation and to reduce stress. It is practiced in many religious traditions. The earliest records of meditation (dhyana) are found in the ancient Hindu texts known as the Vedas. Meditation can help you to reduce your stress, depression, pain, anxiety etc.

 

Many successful people like Hugh Jackman, Steve Jobs, Shane Watson have shared their experience of practicing meditation, Shane Watson one of the greatest cricket all-rounder said that towards the end of his career meditation is what helped him cope with injuries, injury recovering muscle recovery are just some of benifits of the meditation. 

In the west, the techniques of meditation have been categorised in two methods

• Focused Meditation Method- It means pay attention to the breath, (such as mettā (loving-kindness), to a kōan, or to a mantra (such as in transcendental meditation). 

• Open Monitoring Meditation Method- It includes shikantaza, mindfulness and some other awareness states.

There are so many schools and styles of meditation present in Hinduism. In the traditional Hinduism Dhyana and Yoga are used to realise one's eternal soul (ātman).  In Advaita Vedanta this is link with omnipresent and non-dual Brahman. The earliest context of meditation in the Hindu literature are mentioned in the Upanishads and the Mahabharata (including the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita). 

In Jainism, the meditation and spiritual practices was described as salvation-path. It has three parts called the Ratnatraya (Three Jewels) which is Right Perception, Right Conduct and Right Knowledge. In Jainism, the meditation aims at realizing the self, attaining salvation, and taking the soul to complete freedom. Jainism uses meditation techniques such as rūpāstha-dhyāna, rūpātita-dhyāna, padāstha-dhyāna, pindāstha-dhyāna and savīrya-dhyāna. 

In Buddhism, the meditation associates philosophy and the religion of Buddhism. Core meditation techniques have been used in old buddist texts. Buddhist pursuing meditation as part of path towards awaking and nirvahana. The buddhist meditation techniques is now famous globally. 

In Sikhism, Meditation(Simran) and good deeds both are very important to get the spiritual goals. Without the good deeds meditation is pointless. When Sikhs meditate, their aim is to feel God's presence and appear in the divine light of the god. 

Some great benifits of meditation are- 

 • It helps you to reduce your stress and overthinking.

• It helps to increase self-awareness.

• You can easily concentrate on your present.

• Meditation can help you to decrease you negative emotions.

• It will teach you patience and tolerance.   

Meditation might also be helpful if you are suffering from some sort of illness. According to some research meditation can help you to manage symptoms of some conditions like- 

• Depression

• Anxiety

• Sleep problems

• High blood pressure

• Tension headaches

• Chronic pain 

Meditation is not the replacement for medical treatment but it can be useful for your overall health.

- Bratadeep Choudhury