Meditation for Well-Being

We are, without doubt, living in difficult times on a personal and global level.  Many people refuse to watch the news or read newspapers for fear of it dragging them down.  Many individuals are struggling financially, either through unemployment, losing their jobs or being overloaded due to workplace downsizing; relieved they still have employment but imploding under the pressure of carrying the extra workload once done by colleagues now made redundant.  The disproportionate rise in cost-of-living to wages.  Plus a diversity  of personal and family issues that frequently come along to test us:  abuse, bereavement, bullying (at home or in the workplace), illness, family breakdown, relationship worries, moving house/area.   Phew, no wonder people come into counselling struggling with depression, anxiety, stress,  low-self esteem, insomnia, exhaustion etc.,  and so forth.

Counselling can offer the person a very safe place to off-load, strategies to help them work through their feelings and regain some power, then search for options in changing their lives or perception of their circumstances.  Much can be done in the therapeutic fifty minutes to enable the person struggling with a disabling situation. During our sessions I’ll mention to some clients the natural healing that meditation can offer.

Some folk find the concept of meditation difficult, “no time”, “can’t concentrate”, “wouldn’t know where to start” are some of the reasons given for not even giving this calming process a second thought..... let alone a first thought!  So let’s have a look at ‘Meditation for Well-Being’.

A handful of the physiological benefits gained from meditation are:  aids post-operative healing; decreases the aging process; enhances the immune system;  greater orderliness of brain functioning;  helps achieve the body’s ideal weight and reduction of addictions; increases exercise tolerance;  lowers blood pressure and risk of cardiovascular disease; relaxes muscle tension and the nervous system, reducing anxiety attacks; reduces PMT plus prevents, slows or controls the pain of chronic diseases; relieves headaches & migraines; significant relief from asthma.

Some of the psychological benefits gained from meditation are:  Ability to control thoughts, focus and concentration, therefore more able to solve complex problems; aids restorative sleep and minimises insomnia; capacity to see the bigger picture and ignore petty issues; greater communication between the two brain hemispheres; helps overcome phobias and fears; improves learning ability and memory; increases emotional stability plus feelings of vitality and rejuvenation;  improves relationships at home and work; lessens aggressiveness.

A few of the spiritual benefits gained from meditation are:  Ability to live in the present moment; develops intuition; discovery of power and awareness beyond the ego; eliminates worry and restless thinking; encourages self-actualisation (a deep understanding and acceptance of oneself); builds self-confidence; helps discover your life purpose; helps learn forgiveness, thereby releasing hurt and anger; increases compassion and empathy;  increases synchronicity in your life; keeps things in perspective; provides peace of mind – happiness.

Neuroscientists have found the people who meditate shift their brain waves between their two brain hemispheres (cortex’s) thus reducing the debilitating effects of stress, mild depression and anxiety.  In other words..... meditation brings body, mind and spirit into harmony.

What about the two brain hemispheres mentioned above......

“Our personality can be thought of as a result of the degree to which these left and right brains interact, or, in some cases, do not interact.  It is a simplification to identify “left brain” types who are very analytical and orderly.  We likewise certainly know of the artistic, unpredictability and creativity of “right brain” types.  But each of us draws upon specific sides of our brain for a variety of daily functions, depending on such things as our age, education and life experiences.  The choices of which brain is in control of which situation is what forges our personalities and determines our character.

Experiments show that most children rank highly creative (right brain) before entering school.  Because our educational systems place a higher value on left brain skills such as mathematics, logic and language than it does on drawing or using our imagination, only ten percent of these same children will rank highly creative by age 7.  By the time we are adults, high creativity remains in only 2 percent of the population.”
Reference: Dan Eden (Left Brain – Right Brain)  http://viewzone2.com/bicamx.html

Meditation requires no special equipment, and is not complicated to learn.  It can be practised virtually anywhere and is not time consuming; 15-20 minutes per day is sufficient.  With so many benefits to be gained, the question to ask yourself is surely “why am I not meditating yet?”

'GUIDED MEDITATION for BEGINNERS' - is offered to individuals or in small groups by Joy Hazlehurst at The Hope Street Centre.

Joy Hazlehurst is a Counsellor at The Hope Street Centre.

If you would like to book an appointment with her please call: 0788-196-6122.