The benefits of meditation include helping to reduce stress levels and improve sleep quality. It can also be part of the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. UNN reports this with a link to the platform "How are you?".
There are many myths associated with meditation. For example, it may be considered a religious or esoteric practice that is not useful in everyday life. However, scientists have observed that meditation helps improve mental and physical well-being.
When a person chooses to meditate, it is not necessary to immerse themselves in the religious and spiritual aspects of this practice. You should choose the approaches that you like and improve your emotional and physical state.
WHAT IS MEDITATION?
Meditation is a collective name for a set of practices used to improve physical and mental well-being. Meditation can be described as cognitive training that helps improve concentration and emotional self-regulation.
Meditation is considered a safe practice for most people. However, it is important to remember that it is not an alternative to qualified psychological help. In some cases, meditation can worsen a person's condition, such as causing excessive anxiety due to traumatic memories. If you are experiencing symptoms related to your psycho-emotional state, you should consult your family doctor, psychologist, psychotherapist, or psychiatrist to find appropriate meditation practices.
Health benefits of meditation:
- Helps reduce stress levels. Meditation activates the parasympathetic system, which is responsible for rest and relaxation, and partially suppresses the sympathetic system, which is responsible for the fight-or-flight response.
- Improves sleep quality. A type of meditation like mindfulness — the practice of non — evaluative mindfulness-can help improve your sleep quality. This is because meditation practices help you calm down by breathing and focusing on the moment of being "here and now.
- It can be a component of the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. Elements from beyozink mindfulness meditation can help ease the symptoms of PTSD and depression. One study found that veterans with PTSD who practiced meditation experienced improvements in mood and quality of life.
- It is an additional component in the treatment of mental health disorders. Elements from the practice of mindfulness meditation can enhance the effect of cognitive behavioral therapy. Therefore, these elements can be included in psychotherapy protocols not only for post-traumatic stress disorder, but also for depression and anxiety disorders.
- An additional method for eating disorders. Scientists have found that mindfulness meditation practices can be effective for managing eating behavior. Another study found that mindfulness programs help people lose weight and manage eating behaviors such as overeating, emotional overeating, or malnutrition.
WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF MEDITATION?
Mindfulness meditation focuses on non-evaluative conscious living of the present moment. It involves observing your thoughts and feelings without evaluating or analyzing them. Mindfulness meditation can help improve stress tolerance, emotional regulation, and cognitive and creative abilities. And also-to improve the quality of life and subjective sense of happiness.
Yoga includes physical movements, breathing and meditation techniques. This type of meditation helps reduce stress, relieve migraines, and neck pain. Yoga is also useful for relieving symptoms of anxiety, depression, and chronic illnesses.
Mantra meditation. Mantra-based meditation involves the continuous repetition of a word, phrase, or set of syllables (silently or aloud) with or without religious/spiritual meaning.
Movement meditation. This is an active form of meditation that combines mindfulness and physical activity. For example, walking, dancing, or any other activity that allows you to focus on bodily sensations and the present moment.
DAILY WAYS TO MEDITATE
It is noted that in order to start meditating, you do not need to buy special equipment or enroll in appropriate courses. Start with simple practices. It is important not to judge yourself if you do not immediately succeed in a particular practice. Keep in mind that there are many ways to meditate and they are all correct.
You can adjust the ways of meditation, taking into account your condition, rhythm of life and preferences.
focus of attention. focus of attention is one of the main elements of meditation. For example, you can watch the sunset or drink your morning coffee without being distracted by Gadgets. Focus your attention on an object, visualization, breathing, action, or music. This method of meditation helps you feel "here and now" and reduce the burden of the flow of thoughts and emotions.
Breathing. Breathing is another important component of meditation. Breathing can be practiced anywhere you feel the need to slow down and calm down. Try different breathing techniques and choose the ones you like best.
Observation. The practice of observing thoughts and emotions is effective in reducing daily stress. Instead of fighting or thinking about unwanted or disturbing thoughts and emotions, try observing them. This allows you to learn not to identify with your thoughts and worries.
prayer. prayer helps you calm down, become aware of your feelings, and reduce impulsive reactions during periods of life's challenges. However, there are no rules regarding the correctness of prayer. Choose the ones that resonate most with you, or compose your own prayer. It is also worth remembering that you can pray anywhere, if you feel such a need.
Reading. Reading books is another way to reduce stress and increase self-awareness. For example, reading fiction before bed helps you fall asleep. There are no rules about what to read and when to read it. Choose the books that you like.
WHERE CAN I FIND MEDITATION CLASSES AND COURSES?
You can search the Internet or ask your friends for advice. Also, you don't have to attend meditation classes or courses in person. You can choose an online course, which will not affect the effectiveness of the practice. Another way to find meditation courses is to ask your family doctor, psychologist, or psychotherapist.
You can also use meditation apps:
- «Svitlo»;
- "Всього хорошого "(iOS, Android);
- BetterMe: Mental Health (contains the course “Important Skills in Times of Stress” created as part of the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Program);
- “Silence - Meditations in Ukrainian”;
- Breathing meditations (in the ABUK app).
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