What is meditation and its benefits

PART I

What are the benefits of meditation?

We asked Stefania ( @yt_yogatrainer ) founder of Yoga Trainer, a project born from the integration of "two souls" - work and passion - with the aim of spreading and sharing the psycho-physical benefits of yoga and meditation in the world of work.

(at the end of the article you will find her BIO)

Definition of Meditation

In order to understand what meditation is we should first clear our minds of the limiting ideas and beliefs that we have associated with this practice relying instead on a simple understanding of the definition shared by the Buddhist tradition from which contemplative practices originated over 2000 years ago.

 

In Buddhism, meditation is defined as:

 

"BHAVANA" (in Sanskrit) that is: "Develop, cultivate self-knowledge" and "GOMA" (in Tibetan) that is: "Become familiar with...; become familiar with the world of thoughts, emotions that coexist together."

 

 

According to the Buddhist tradition, in fact, "If we do not understand what we are experiencing, moment by moment, we will not be able to define the quality of our lives."

 

When we speak of meditation we refer to a set of practices and tools useful to increase the awareness and knowledge of ourselves to proceed gradually deeper and deeper in the investigation and exploration of the nature of reality.

 

credits: @yt_yogatrainer

The Benefits of Meditation

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By now we know: "Science confirms: Meditation is good for you! "

But Why?

 

While in the past the scientific community agreed on the concept of health as a condition present only in the absence of disease, today the approach has evolved to the current definition of: "an organism's ability to continuously adapt to its environment."

 

Health is therefore present if there is the so-called "allostatic balance" or if an individual is able to maintain its stability (psycho-emotional) through and not, despite, change. In essence, we can be healthy even in the presence of disease if we develop an inner stability that does not allow itself to be overwhelmed by the surrounding environment, which is constantly evolving.

 

This is why meditation is a useful and effective tool because it reduces stress-related diseases!

 

In fact, the concept of health must unite spirituality and medicine (obviously spirituality has nothing to do with religion).

Spirituality induces mental and physical benefits such as:

• Reduction in blood pressure;
• Reduction of chronic pain;
• Stroke reduction; Reduction in depressive states and suicide rates;
• Increased optimism;
• Reduction in substance abuse;

But where do spirituality and medicine meet?

They meet in the breath.

 

They meet when specific neurobiological mechanisms happen that impact our response to stress.

Meditation then goes to work in all the neuronal structures in which we have the greatest impact of stress by training the holding of our emotional and psycho-physical balance.

From a more philosophical and conceptual point of view we must then reflect on the power of inner change.

By increasing our awareness we create greater consciousness. We become aware that everything is connected! We are all One and our actions, including what we think, create consequences in the "reality" in which we live.

Meditation is a tool to find ourselves and deeply discover who we are.

It allows you to develop greater awareness and centering. A technique to regain the natural state of inner peace. When you experience such an inner state, you cultivate compassion and introspection by abandoning those spaces of hatred, fear and suffering.

THE AUTHOR 

Stefania (@yt_yogatrainer)

Graduated in Economics and Marketing, after a University Master in Neuroscience, Mindfulness and Contemplative Practices in life she teaches yoga and meditation and deals with training, development and enhancement of human resources and business organizations.

 

Thanks to a continuous training in Italy, Indonesia and India she is a certified teacher of Hatha Yoga and Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga and she is a certified Mindfulness Educator and Brain Longevity® Specialist. To the knowledge of the different complexities that we live daily in the world of work that, today even more, requires at every level to draw on specific soft skills of growth and resilience, she has combined her passion for practices, such as yoga and meditation, aimed at the development of a stable emotional balance and a greater psycho-physical well-being, creating the project Yoga Trainer.

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What is meditation and its benefits PART II