Sitting is easy, right? Doing nothing is easy, right? Breathing is easy, am I right? So, then why is sitting still and breathing so difficult? Because our bodies are designed to move and our minds are designed to be active. And meditation calls for silence and stillness. It is in this state that we gain wisdom, health, peace, and whispered answers to our greatest questions. The benefits are nearly endless, and therefore, learning to meditate is the single greatest gift you can give yourself.
Benefits of Meditation: More Than You Might Think!
We’ve all heard that benefits of a regular meditation practice include lower stress levels, lower blood pressure, and less anxiety; increased concentration and mood, and a host of more specific physical, psychological, and emotional benefits. Thousands of studies have proven these positive outcomes. But my experience is that meditation can open doors beyond these known effects. Meditation can take you as deep into your subconscious as you are willing to go. Why is that important? Because it is in your subconscious where your true pain, desires, and memories reside.
Have you ever said, I’m not sure what I really want? Or, I don’t know where my chronic pain is coming from? Or I’m not sure how to let go of this fear? Well, your subconscious knows the answers to these things, and meditation is the way to access your subconscious. So, how do we do that? By getting quiet and still.
So Many Thoughts!
The goal of any meditation is to stay in the present moment, by quieting our thoughts and going within. Experts vary on how many thoughts we have per day—some say 6,000, and others say up to 80,000. Regardless, recent studies show our thoughts tend to be repetitive and largely negative. This deeply impacts our stress levels, and we know that stress is the most common cause of disease. The various meditation methods available will help you tame the monkey mind that are your thoughts, and open a clear path to your subconscious—what you might also call your soul.
The Soul Level
Meditation will show you how to operate from a soul level rather than from a physical level. You might have heard the saying that we are spiritual beings in physical bodies, and you will come to understand this more deeply in your meditation practice. When you operate from a soul level, you begin to perceive things you were unable to on the physical level. These are some things you might notice as you develop a regular meditation practice:
1) Messages might come to you. They might seem like your own thoughts, or they might appear divinely gifted to you.
2) You might notice improvements in your physical, psychological, or emotional health. You might even see improvements in areas you didn’t realize needed improving.
3) You might find yourself with a greater ability to remain calm amid chaos.
4) You might notice a newfound sense of peace within you.
5) You might feel less fearful overall.
6) You might not see others as separate from you. In other words, you might begin to feel a connection to other people, animals, and nature.
This is just a partial list of the positive changes that can happen when you operate from a soul level and not strictly from a physical level. Meditation is a powerful practice with infinite possibilities. In my training to become a certified meditation teacher, I learned about various levels of consciousness available to us through meditation, and I remember my head teacher, Deepak Chopra, describing what he called a level of non-local awareness, which is a state of consciousness that exists beyond time and space.
Although I have admittedly had some spiritual experiences because of my meditation practice, I am not interested in delving into the more esoteric side of meditation. My goal is to help you use your practice to become a healthier and happier person, and to show you the role meditation played in my journey toward improved physical health.
CONTACT ME: For comments, writing assignments, or product reviews, please send me an email at Val@ValTheSpaGal.com