Mindfulness and awareness are key in life. We are not living in the present and at ease, then mistakes can occur and stress can find ways to creep into one’s life. Mindfulness meditation teaches one to focus on the present through mental visualization and breathing. It helps tune the mind to the senses and to partake in the moment itself. This type of mindset is perfect for work. Employers should encourage mindfulness training for employees to increase productivity.
Mindfulness meditation can improve workplace productivity. Please also review AIHCP’s Meditation Instructor Program
The article, “What is mindfulness and why is it important in a workplace” by Kristin Finkbeiner takes a closer look at how mindfulness helps in the workplace. She states,
“Organisations are becoming more invested in the wellbeing of employees due to an increased awareness of the costs associated with an unhealthy workforce. Absenteeism, presenteeism, turnover, and a lack of productivity are all very costly issues that are closely tied to employee stress and mental health. The number of sick days lost to serious mental health issues has doubled in the past decade and mental health is the leading cause of sickness-related absences.”
Please also review AIHCP’s Meditation Instructor Program and see if it meets your academic and professional goals. The program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification as a Meditation Instructor.
Meditation, especially Eastern Meditation is originally Asian in origin from both China, India and other oriental nations. It is a stamp of not only faith but also cultural tradition and for some identity. Some Asian Americans find it to be crucial to life not only for health and faith but also identity.
Meditation can supply an escape from today’s social evils. Please also review AIHCP’s Meditation Instructor Program
The article, “Why Meditation Is Crucial for My Joy and Resilience as an Asian American” by Kim Tai looks at how meditation can help Asian American communities find resilience and joy in life. She states,
“And if you are feeling trapped and afraid, know that you are not alone. I invite you to sit—with yourself, with me, with all your Asian siblings and ancestors—and know that resilience lives deep within you. Even if it’s unfair that we should need to be so resilient in the first place—that we, as a marginalized community, have had to continue to endure systemic oppression and discriminatory violence—we have still persevered.”
With racism and hate towards many Asian communities over Covid, many turn to meditation to find solace. Any nationality can find solace in meditation though. With shootings, division and turmoil in the country, meditation can be an inward escape from the chaos, not just for Asian Americans but all Americans
Please also review AIHCP’s Meditation Instructor Program and see if it matches your academic and professional goals. The program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification as a Meditation Instructor
Meditation is extremely healthful. It has been proven in multiple studies that is reduces stress and stress response hormones in the body. This reverses multiple stress induced damage to the body. Furthermore, it helps the mind be more alert and mindful. These mind and body health reasons are enough for many to wish to learn meditation but many whether spiritual or secular struggle with meditation. They have a difficult time mastering it. This blog article looks to point out a few helpful hints and strategies to help others mediate more effectively from a health point of view only.
Tips to properly meditate can help you maximize your meditation experience. Please also review AIHCP’s Meditation Instructor Program
Meditation Instructors can teach their students many ways to better meditate and find mindfulness, peace and reduced stress. The first step is finding a place to meditate. Many suggest a quiet place free from outside noise and distractions. Some places may be outdoors while others may be indoors. Some even create their own meditation room equipped with lighting and calming sounds. These are all excellent ways to help the body relax and allow the inner healing of meditation to take place.
Position is also key. Many recommend sitting but with a straight posture. If one is too comfortable, then they may fall asleep. Some may very well use meditation or like states to fall asleep but this not the purpose of mental meditation. One is to be relaxed but is to recharge the mind not so much the body. This is why it is good to meditate when one is not overly fatigued or just ate. Instead one should become comfortable and relaxed but not to the point of falling asleep. Comfort to the body is key through proper temperature and sound to set the proper mood for the mind to find peace without distractions beyond falling asleep.
Breathing is one of the most fundamental aspects of meditation. Breathing from the stomach is critical. These deep breathes refresh the body and lungs. They also create a rhythmic function of breathing in and out. Breath is key to life in Eastern Meditation and without proper breath work, then meditation cannot be successful. One should be able to breath multiple times to relax the body and reduce stress. One should also focus on the breath as it enters the nostrils and is exhaled through the mouth. Focus on the breath physically but also how it gives the body life. One should focus on every element of the body from head to toe and visualize the body becoming relaxed with each set of breaths.
In addition to breathwork, mantras play a key role in focus. The words keep one focused and should correlate with the breathwork. Two part phrases or sacred words can be utilized as well as words that are conducive to good health. Which ever word chosen, it needs to have special meaning to anchor one into the meditation event. Mantras and sacred words can help individuals maintain the importance of focus.
Many who meditate deal with distractions. They are upset when the distractions occur. While breathwork and mantras help one return to focus, it is important to not over fret about distractions and thoughts that may enter into the mind. Instead, friendly dismiss them and return to the focus of the mantra or breathing. They may return, but try to remain mindful of the moment and of the meditation itself.
Meditation can has many physical benefits when properly done. Please also review AIHCP’s Meditation Instructor Program
Those who seek to control the meditation session, or actively will certain states or thoughts or feelings miss the whole entirely and purpose of meditation. Meditation is passive and is open to what may flow into the mind and it is accepting. As the body calms and the world becomes more quiet, the mind can better hear. For those who are only secular, the mind becomes more sharp. It is better able to remember, organize and remain mindful of the moment. For those who are spiritual it gives one an awakening with the divine.
Whether religious or secular, the mind and body health benefits of meditation are undeniable. The tips above can help individuals properly prepare themselves physically as well as properly guide them through the meditative process with a more calm, passive and peaceful mind. The end results will clearly help individuals in their overall health but also their various life professions and relations with others.
If you would like to learn more about meditation, then please review AIHCP’s Meditation Instructor Program. The program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification as a Meditation Instructor. If one is religious or secular the program will help one learn the necessary skills and knowledge to not only improve oneself but also to guide others in meditation. Please review the program and see if it matches your academic and professional goals.
Other resources on Meditation
“Mindful” has an excellent article on “How to Meditate” Please click here
Please review Healthline’s article, “5 Benefits of Metta Meditation and How to Do It” by Kirsten Nunez. Please click here
Please review AIHCP’s closer look at meditation its video, “Foundations of Meditation”. Please click here
Great article about mindfulness training for employees. Many businesses are looking to meditation to help employees deal with less stress and increase productivity while working. Mindfulness pushes all these benefits to employees for business’s wise enough to invest in this type of training for their employees.
Mindfulness training benefits many businesses and firms. Please also review AIHCP’s Meditation Instructor Program
The article, “11 Vital Parts Of Mindfulness Training For Employees” from Forbes looks closer at how mindfulness training is an important element in employee mental health. The article states,
“Mindfulness training has got a lot of attention in the world of business lately, as many companies look at it as a means of promoting a more positive outlook in employees. Mindfulness training may encompass things like meditation and positive thinking exercises to ingrain these habits in workers. However, if a business is genuinely invested in mindfulness and the positive mental state of its workers, the training needs to go deeper. The most vital parts of mindfulness come not from positive thinking and meditation alone but the business’s approach to its employees.”
Mindfulness is so important in today’s business world that training employees in its use and benefits is a good organizational move for the entirety of the firm or business. Please also review AIHCP’s Meditation Instructor Program and see if it meets your academic and professional goals. Many Meditation Instructors are hired by firms to present education and training in mindfulness. A certification from AIHCP can help with this. The program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification as a Meditation Instructor.
Awareness or consciousness is a feature singular to humanity on Earth. Only humanity can reflect on being itself. Comprehension of why one does something and understanding it as well as understanding of not being conscious. In Meditation, consciousness and awareness are key in deep and good inner silence. Being conscious of basic breathing functions and regulating them are all essential.
Consciousness is a human trait that allows self reflection. This is key in meditation. Please also review AIHCP’s Meditation Instructor Program
The article, “How The Meditation Technique, ‘Wheel Of Awareness,’ Can Improve Your Well-Being” by Nancy Clark looks in more detail how consciousness in meditation plays into one’s overall health. She states,
“How are the mind, brain and consciousness connected? The brain is an organ in the head, but there is more to it than that. According to Siegel, mind is your “subjective experience of life.” This is unique to each person. It’s how you receive and process information. Consciousness is the awareness of being aware. It is becoming the observer to your thoughts and experience, as well as the experiencer.”
Please also review AIHCP’s Meditation Instructor Certification Program and see if it meets your academic and professional goals. The program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification as a Meditation Instructor Program
Overthinking minds naturally are more difficult to deal with when meditating. Minds like this cannot relax and they analyze even the function of meditation itself to the point no meditation can occur. These issues are difficult to overcome and make meditation a little more harder at first. It is important to learn how to silence the mind and find a way to reduce the overthinking when attempting to relax.
Learning to quiet the overthinking mind is key to meditation. Please also review AIHCP’s Meditation Instructor Program
The article, “9 Tips for Meditating When You’re an Overthinker” from HEALTHLINE reviews how one can quiet the mind and stop overthinking while trying to meditate. The article states,
“Although I’m a long-time meditator, I continually struggle to truly turn off my head. Enter my “monkey mind,” the intrusive, restless thoughts that derail me from finding mental calm. Even when I set aside time for stillness, a riptide of thoughts frequently washes me out to a sea of worries, concerns, and — wait, am I making chicken or fish for dinner tonight? Although the idea of quieting the mind and blissing out in meditation sounds wonderfully rejuvenating, actually achieving a meditative state can be an uphill battle for those of us with overactive thoughts.”
It is well worth learning how to quiet the mind and utilize the healing and soothing benefits of meditation. The peace gained is well worth it and the quiet from overthinking can replenish any person.
Please also review AIHCP’s Meditation Instructor Program and see if it meets your academic and professional goals. The program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification as a Meditation Instructor.
PTSD is a severe reaction to trauma. It haunts millions, especially veterans who have witnessed war at its worst. Transcendental Meditation may be able to help individuals relax and process the trauma in more productive ways. It has the possibility to heal the mind and soul through the process.
PTSD is a serious condition due to severe past trauma. Please also review AIHCP’s Meditation Instructor Program
The article, “Could transcendental meditation treat PTSD?” from MedicalNewsToday takes a closer look at how Transcendental Meditation can help veterans with PTSD. The article states,
“A common plot device in fiction finds a character overcoming past traumatic experiences by finally confronting their pain. In real life, recovery is not so simple. While therapies for people with PTSD typically focus on facing one’s trauma, a new study finds that the restful effects of TM may more readily help people with PTSD heal.”
Please also review AIHCP’s Meditation Instructor Program and see if it meets your academic and professional goals. The program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification as a Meditation Instructor
Many religious traditions believe that one through meditation can cause a positive disturbance into the cosmos and tap into the natural healing energy. Some cultures call this Chi. While this is only an Eastern belief, meditation from a secular point of view can also elicit responses through the Relaxation Response to help heal the body. In fact, whichever religious tradition, the utilization of meditation within the particular creed seems to all cause the Relaxation Response.
In previous blogs and articles, we know that the Relaxation Response is the opposite of the Fight or Flight Response. The Relaxation Response reverses the blood pressure, higher heart rate, and heavier breathing caused by the sympathetic nervous system in time of physical need, or stress. Adrenaline is pumped into the body during physical emergencies to enable the body to better react to the issue at hand, however, this response is more damaging when responding to only emotional and mental stresses of the modern world. Hence, anxiety and stress can cause an array of physical ailments to the heart and blood pressure.
The relaxation response is able to reverse the physical reactions of the Fight or Flight response in the body. It is able to undo the higher blood pressure, heart rate and respiration induced by this response. Please also review AIHCP’s Stress Management Consulting Program
The ability of the mind via meditation and breathing to induce the Relaxation Response is key to healing. It is only doubled when combined with the faith factor. Positive vibes and beliefs through meditation and even basic mindset can produce within the body multiple cures over minor issues and also maintain optimal health. Likewise, negative beliefs and lack of faith can lead to physical ailments. The mind body connection is real and the ability to control the negative responses of the body to stress as well as produce healthier mental images, is key to overall health.
Does this mean one should never go to the doctor but only procure a healthy mindset? Definitely not, but Herbert Benson in “Beyond the Relaxation Response” believes that a healthy mindset and faith factor tied to meditation can procure within the Relaxation Response a more general bill of health, as well as better responses to illness. He reviews the importance of the placebo effect for both positive and negative results.
Meditation is an excellent way to overcome stress and its consequences. Please also review AIHCP’s Meditation Instructor Program and see if it meets your academic and professional goals
One can see through studies and throughout history, the power of the mind in helping someone recover from an illness, likewise, the power of the mind to produce illness. Meditation and the Relaxation Response with a strong faith factor reveals that many individuals are able to control negative responses from the Sympathetic Response system and maintain better health in part by preventing illness as well as aiding the body heal itself. A person with a positive mindset and faith factor has a better chance of healing or overcoming a major operation and illness than one with a negative.
Part of this is the placebo effect of the medication. Many medications are strengthened by the belief of the person. Furthermore, a strong trust in the physician who is optimistic can help trigger a better faith factor which can help a patient recover faster. In many cases, medications produce more side effects than good, and the faith factor and optimistic view is strong enough to help someone. It is important to know if the medication one is on is completely necessary for health and wellness.
The faith factor is just a religious ideal but one that places faith in something, whether it be God, medication, a physician or one’s own ability to heal. It is a critical element in self healing and overall mental, emotional and physical health. Through the studies on meditation, we clearly see a connection between mind and body and vice versa. The mind has an ability to control many of our responses, including heartbeat and blood pressure, it also has the ability to aid the body in recovery with positive imagery. This is not a cure all. While mental positive images can help, they cannot overcome certain obstacles or devastating disease or injury, but they can help the body recover and maintain itself.
It is important to procure this type of positive attitude and with a strong faith factor, coupled with meditation and the triggering of the Relaxation Response, one can better achieve better health and a more peaceful life in response to stress and anxiety.
Anxiety looks to tear into the body causing a brutal cycle where the body is forced to respond to a physical threat that is not present. By eliminating this cycle through the Relaxation Response, one is able to lower breathing, heart rate and blood pressure and allow the body to relax from the hormonal onslaught. Remember, it is about how we view stress, cope with it, and our overall outlook on life that helps prepare us to handle these stresses. Through meditation we are able to heal the body from stress and prepare it to handle it later.
The Relaxation Response is the physical result of various religious traditions. A positive faith factor can help reduce the negative consequences of stress but also help the body heal itself over time
For purposes of the review, the steps are simple. Find a quiet place, focus on breathing, find an object or mental image to dwell upon, use a mantra or prayer to stay on path and avoid distractions and maintain a passive mind. These steps are part of almost every religious tradition. While religious traditions may have different spiritual ends, they all through meditation induce a particular physical reaction which is beneficial to the body. That response is the Relaxation Response.
If you would like to learn more, please review Herbert Benson’s revolutionary work on meditation. If you would like to earn a certification in Meditation Instruction, then please review AIHCP’s Meditation Instructor Program and see if it meets your academic and professional goals. The program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification in Meditation Instruction.
Also, feel free to review AIHCP’s Stress Management Consulting Program which also closely ties to meditation and its uses as a way to monitor and overcome stress.
Stress and anger facilitates the “Flight or Fight” response in our bodies. While temporarily good, if the physical reactions within the body continue over time or are not properly channeled, then damage to the body can occur. Elevated heart beat and higher blood pressure are all temporary necessary results to deal with situations but in the modern world, stresses cannot be dealt with by fight or flight but must be managed.
The relaxation response can not only cope with the effects of stress but also help with healing. Please also review AIHCP’s Meditation Instructor Program and see if it meets your academic needs.
The Relaxation Response is the opposite reaction within the body, where a pre stress state is restored to the body. It lowers the heart rate, lowers blood pressure and creates a more tranquil setting which is beneficial to the body. Recent studies through bio feed back have proven to shown that one can facilitate these responses through a variety of meditation practices or techniques. Meditation, in particular, Eastern meditation has shown to be able to elicit the relaxation response.
The Relaxation Response requires a quiet or peaceful setting and environment. It requires a passive mindset. It also requires an object of focus and a repeating phrase, mantra, or word to retain that focus. Through this peaceful and gradual process, studies have shown that the relaxation response can be found. It is far different than a mere sleep process, but various active brain waves continue to function as well as the state that reduces stress. This is different than sleep and its critical importance at the REM phase and its own special health benefits. The two states have different health aims and different purposes.
The Relaxation Response can be elicited from a variety of religious traditions. It can be Christian in end or Eastern. World religions seem to share in this common trait of producing this universal mental state within individuals who practice it. However, non religious can also benefit from it and enter into with out any religious overtones.
What is incredible is that the human mind has the capability to alter change to the body. It can, seen through biofeedback, produce changes in heart beat and pressure through meditation. In some more extraordinary cases, Tibetan Monks were able to even alter body temperatures. With this in mind, the power of the mind to alter subconscious responses is an important study within meditation and its battle with stress.
Meditation can put mind over matter in many ways. Please also review AIHCP’s Meditation Instructor Program
The faith factor and the ability of the mind to alter minor realities in health and healing is extraordinary. Not just altering bio rhythms within the body to reduce the effects of stress, but to also help heal. Placebo effects, whether positive or negative can play huge roles in individual’s health or lack of. The simple positive belief of the person in something or someone and that shared encouragement can play a key role in healing. Meditation can also open these amazing benefits of self healing. Again, the mind can play a pivotal role in helping the body heal itself by believing it.
If you would like to learn more about Meditation, stress reduction and the Relaxation Response, then please review AIHCP’s Meditation Instructor Program and see if it matches your academic and professional goals. The program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification as a Meditation Instructor.
Meditation has beneficial effects on overall mental health and physical health. The physiological effects are closely related to the relaxation response it triggers in the body. This response naturally lowers blood pressure, breathing and other functions of the body.
Eastern Meditation although spiritual in origin has many physical and mental benefits. Please also review AIHCP’s Meditation Instructor Program
The article, “The Science Behind Meditation” by Jennifer Wallis looks at the effects meditation has on brain waves, heart beats, blood pressure and breathing. She states in the article,
“According to a study by Harvard University, the physiologic benefits of meditation – in this instance the relaxing form of transcendental meditation – relate to quieting the sympathetic nervous system and the activation of the parasympathetic branch – otherwise known as ‘rest and digest’. Medical studies have shown that individuals who practice transcendental meditation daily had lower blood levels of epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol”
From originally a spiritual discipline of the East, science has discover that meditation has many benefits physically. The spiritual needs of Eastern Meditation required the quiet of the body. This purpose had dual benefits to those of those Eastern faiths. For Westerners and those of a secular nature, meditation can supply a healthy option to control blood pressure, heart issues and other problems related to stress.
Please also review AIHCP’s Meditation Instructor Program and see if it matches your academic and professional goals.
