Researchers from the Heart Math Institute have found that regular meditation and focusing on the inner core, the heart, can sustainably increase people’s well-being. Meditation not only enhances your own well-being, but also influences those around you. When you are in tune with your inner center, this radiates outward and positively affects your immediate environment.
According to research by the Heart Math Institute, as little as 15 minutes a day is enough to have a noticeable effect. However, it is important to meditate daily to achieve a long-term effect. Otherwise, everything fizzles out and the effort was in vain. Often one hears then statements like “That brings anyway nothing”.
Find your own center with meditation
By definition, meditation means “to align oneself with the center”. This means to direct one’s own attentiveness to oneself or one’s breathing. Through breathing, we humans have access to our natural life stream. It regulates our natural life flow and leads us to ourselves.
Thus we gain access to our innermost core and can connect with our innermost being. Once this connection is established and nourished on a daily basis, every human being is able to tap into the necessary resources to achieve their goals with ease. Regular meditation supports us humans in this process and helps us maintain a high quality of life.
The three main forms of meditation
The three main forms of meditation include Mindfulness Meditation, Transcendental Meditation, and Loving-Kindness Meditation. They are briefly explained below:
Mindfulness Meditation
In mindfulness meditation, the focus is on consciously noticing the present moment without making judgments. In doing so, one focuses attention on the breath, physical sensations, thoughts, or feelings that pass by and simply allows them to pass without holding on or rejecting them. This form of meditation promotes concentration, presence in the here and now, and acceptance of the present state.
Transcendental Meditation (TM)
Transcendental Meditation is a very common meditation practice in which one repeats a specific mantra (a word or syllable) in thought. By repeating the mantra, the mind is calmed and led to stillness. TM aims to achieve deep relaxation, inner peace, and expansion of consciousness. It is often described as easy to learn and applicable to people from diverse backgrounds.
Loving-Kindness Meditation
In this form of meditation, the focus is on developing loving-kindness and compassion toward oneself and others. One repeats positive affirmations or phrases such as “May I be happy, may I be safe, may I be healthy, may I be at peace.” One then extends these wishes to other people, beginning with close ones and gradually extending to all beings. This practice promotes empathy, connectedness, and positive emotional states.
There are, of course, many other forms of meditation, such as Zen meditation, Vipassana meditation, or Kundalini meditation. Each of these forms has its own techniques and focus. It is important to choose the form of meditation that best suits your individual needs, preferences and goals.
Benefits of meditation
It is proven that meditation brings great benefits to us humans. Be it on a health, psychological or spiritual level. Meditation harmonizes and additionally strengthens the connection between body, mind and soul. Which over time brings a significant improvement in one’s general well-being. Other benefits of regular daily meditation are:
Stress reduction
Meditation is a proven method to reduce stress and tension. By focusing on the present moment and letting go of stressful thoughts and emotions, we can find inner peace and serenity.
Increase mental clarity
Meditation promotes focus of the mind and helps calm the mind. This allows us to think more clearly, improve our ability to concentrate, and work more effectively. Also, our intuition is refined and we can make better decisions as a result.
Emotional Well-Being
By meditating regularly, we can better control our emotional reactions and reduce negative emotions such as anger, fear and frustration. Instead, we can strengthen positive emotions such as joy, compassion and gratitude.
Improved physical health
Meditation can have a positive effect on our bodies. It lowers blood pressure, reduces the risk of heart disease, and strengthens the immune system. In addition, it can relieve pain and improve sleep.
Increased self-awareness
Meditation helps us get to know ourselves better and develop a deeper understanding of our own needs, values and goals. As a result, we can increase our self-awareness and live authentic, fulfilling lives.
Improved relationships
By cultivating our inner calm and balance through meditation, we can also positively impact our interpersonal relationships. We become more mindful, empathetic, patient and communicate more clearly.
Spiritual growth
Meditation enables us to connect more deeply with our spiritual selves. It supports us on our individual spiritual path and can lead to a sense of connectedness, meaningfulness and transcendence.
These benefits of meditation make it a powerful practice for promoting well-being on a holistic level and living a fulfilling life. Most of the benefits listed are due to the powerful stress reduction combined with improved (self-)awareness. During meditation we find our deepest inner core, control our thoughts and balance our emotional world. The body releases fewer stress hormones during meditation, which has a long-term positive effect on the health of our brain.
At the same time, certain areas in the brain are strengthened, which positively influence our behavior and make us more relaxed in all life situations. Therefore, we stay not only mentally fitter but also physically healthier. The effects of daily meditation are strongly noticeable after only a few sessions. Studies have shown that already after 25 hours of meditation the first changes in the brain are measurable.
80% of all top performers meditate daily
In his book “Tools of the Titans – The Tactics, Routines and Habits of World-Class Performers, Icons and Billionaires,” Tim Ferriss interviewed 200 top performers from various fields. These were extreme athletes, generals and heads of special forces in the military, and self-made billionaires.
80% of them said that they practice some form of mindfulness training or meditation every day. Exciting, isn’t it? Have you wondered what could happen to you if you meditated every day?
Implementation is everything
Start your daily meditation practice right now. Find the form of meditation that suits you best and start right away. I myself meditate every morning after getting up and in the evening before going to bed. I feel much more centered, sleep much better and handle stress much easier.
You will also be doing yourself a great favor. The results will surprise you and your life will take on a different quality in all areas. If you already meditate daily, continue. I wish you much joy, deep relaxation, an improved quality of life and success on your way.
