March 15

Meditation

Meditation is giving your attention to one thing as a way of becoming calm. It is when you intentionally set time aside to do something good for yourself. So you can sit calmly and do breathing exercises, look at the ocean, walk, do yoga or other exercise.

The benefits of Meditation include:

• Improves cognitive performance
• Reduces the effects of stress
• Improves mental health
• Keeps colds at bay
• Can help deal with chronic pain
• Can help control your cravings
• Helps fight premature aging

Meditation involves relaxation, focus, and awareness. Meditation is often practiced in one of three modes:

• Concentration: focusing attention on a single object, internal or external (focused attention meditation)
• Observation: paying attention to whatever is predominant in your experience in the present moment, without allowing the attention to get stuck on any particular thing (mindfulness meditation)
• Awareness: allowing awareness to remain present, undistracted and not engaged with either focusing or observing

Types of meditation are a set of techniques that are intended to encourage a heightened state of awareness and focused attention which include:

• Mindfulness meditation
• Spiritual meditation
• Focused meditation
• Movement meditation
• Mantra meditation
• Transcendental meditation
• Progressive relaxation
• Loving-kindness meditation

Including any of these practices in your daily life will provide you with the benefits of a regular meditation practice.

Explore Meditation Practices