Why Meditate?

In today’s scenario ‘stress’ seems to be an integral part of everyone’s life, regardless of his or her age, gender, profession and economic status.

Right from a school going kid to the CEO of a multinational company every person has to deal will ‘stress’. The changing lifestyle has contributed to the unexpected rise of lifestyle disorders and sometimes lifestyle diseases.

The situation is alarming and there isn’t enough awareness and resources to deal with it.

The emergence of hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism and obesity among young as well as old men, women shows that something needs to be done with our daily routine and diet. Diabetes, hypertension, heart diseases weren’t common among young people, but now these conditions seem to have taken a toll of people among all age groups.

On the other hand we have advanced allopathic medicines and technology available for all the serious ailments. The usefulness of the medicine and technology depends on the various aspects of the situation, financial condition and mental setup of an individual but precaution is always beneficial. It demands a healthy approach and discipline toward the overall lifestyle that we are leading.

To keep one’s physical health in a good condition this is the basic thing that one has to do. Proper diet, proper physical activity, exercises, proper amount of rest, sleep can keep the physic fit. But if the mind is not equipped to cope up with the ‘stress’, even the physical health acquired by maintaining a proper regime can start trembling down.

As we always say ‘healthy mind in healthy body’; a healthy mind is equally important to live the life to the fullest. If the mind looses its power to confront the adversities offered by life, gradually the health too starts getting affected. Similarly, if the health deteriorates, it affects the mind.

Mental health is equally important. Even in developed countries, people have misconceptions about mental health to an extent where some people don’t even believe that the problem exists. The only good thing about the whole situation is that some of the celebrities have started sharing their stories of mental health problems openly.

Thanks to these brave people as their stories will help abolish the stigma that comes with mental health problems.

Having said that, one must admit that not everyone has the luxury to have proper resources to get proper help. It is going to take time for that to happen and reach out to the people from all strata of the society.

Another important aspect of this story is the holistic approach toward a healthy lifestyle.

Whether it is Yoga or some kind of Natural healing method, these supportive therapies can prove to be a big help in bringing peace and harmony in your life. The sudden mushrooming of different kind of healing centers practicing various healing methods reflects the fact that mere medication is not enough. It also makes us realize that the process of reinventing, rejuvenating, motivating yourself needs to start from within. The external factors are important, but at the same time the person who needs to get healed must want it to happen badly.

The following equation seems very simple but it’s not easy to apply in a day-to-day life.

“The subtle body and gross body need to be in harmony”

To put it in different way, “the outer, physical form is a manifestation of what lies in your mind, when the body and mind both are synchronized you experience nothing but harmony.” and for this to happen, the simplest way is to meditate everyday and get connected with your subconscious mind. It’s all about getting your mind in shape, get it to function in the way you want it to rather than you getting dictated by it.

Here are the basic steps to meditate:

1. Find a comfortable and peaceful spot in your house.

2. Make sure you are wearing comfortable cloths.

3. Put a mat on the floor and sit in ‘Padmasana’ (Lotus Position) only if you are comfortable or else sit comfortably on a chair or couch.

4. Sit comfortably with your spine straight but your shoulders relaxed.

5. Touch the tip of your thumb with your index finger (Gyan Mudra / WisdomMudra) and rest your hands on your knees.

6. Now gently close your eyes.

7. Take a deep breath at first and then continue to breath normally.

8. Concentrate on the rhythm of your breath.

9. If you are not a religious person it’s perfectly fine; you don’t have to have faith to meditate.

10. Remember, meditation can be done in different ways; there are different methods and techniques. Nothing is right or wrong.

11. But at the end of the session you should feel relaxed and not feel fatigued or drained out. If that happens something is wrong with the way you are practicing meditation.

12. Important thing to understand: unlike saints, for ordinary people like us, meditation is a technique that needs to be practiced everyday and you will gradually get a hang of it.

13. Do not expect instant results.

14. Bonus tip for beginners: If you are a music lover and play peaceful music in the background, it will surely help you meditate.

I hope this helps. Happy Meditation.