What happens when you meditate

We have many beliefs about what meditation is, but really meditating is not something that can only be done sitting on a cushion, with your legs crossed. You can also meditate standing, lying down or sitting in a chair. The state of mind is much more important than the position of the body. Although sitting upright helps exercise attention, and attention is a fundamental part of meditation. On the other hand, meditation is not something that can only and exclusively be done in the silence and intimacy of the bedroom. In reality, you can meditate practically anywhere and at any time of the day. Which is incredibly practical, for my busy days. Do you know the benefits of meditation? Physical relaxation Meditation involves allowing, letting go, a progressive ability to renounce physical and mental tension. But it also implies a particularly beneficial relationship. Which translates into full attention. A state of alertness that guarantees that each body uses the amount of energy strictly necessary not only to remain seated and with your back upright, but also to carry out daily physical tasks without difficulty. In other words, meditation reeducates the body, eliminating bad habits of physical tension and unnecessary overexertion that we usually assume from an excessively early stage of life, in addition to seeking greater body awareness. It means that when we meditate we are in harmony with our body, to the point of perceiving tension and relaxing it. More awareness about thought processes. This does not mean that the meditator can or should interrupt the thoughts at will. ndesirable thoughts or ideas, but thanks to the force of attention the thoughts cannot dominate your mind. When we meditate, we are aware of our thoughts, but without being tied to them. In this way, unpleasant ideas do not manage to worry, disturb or disturb us as much. Increasing tranquility and ability to overcome stress Just as thoughts no longer have the power to dominate the meditator, the same happens with emotions. The person may feel sadness or anger, but as happens with ideas, these emotions are kept at a considerable distance from the meditator, who, despite them, experiences a powerful sensation of peace and inner tranquility. Development of consciousness Consciousness consists of the ability to notice what is happening around us, and to divert attention from one thing to another as soon as it appears, instead of being distracted by daily thoughts and internal dialogues, as if we were daydreaming. Promoting Self-Understanding If we were asked if we know ourselves, we would generally answer yes. But in reality, most of us are complete strangers in our own minds. We tend to live on the surface of our inner life. And we only keep superficial thoughts in mind, ignoring what happens at the deepest levels of the unconscious. We even overlook where our ideas come from or what their origins are. Development of creative thinking Creativity involves accessing or opening to the unconscious levels of the mind, where original thoughts are born. The calmer the conscious mind is, the more capable we will be of reaching these levels. Development of memory A good part of our forgetfulness is due to our inability to concentrate on what is happening in the environment, and, consequently, to store it in our memory banks. Much of it is due to interference from the conscious mind, especially when we are worried or anxious, such as before taking an exam. Meditation helps calm these inhibiting emotions and allows us to remember things when necessary. The exercise and development of consciousness also contributes to enhancing memory. In this sense, we will not be able to remember things regularly unless we are fully aware of them. We often accuse children of “being in the clouds” or forgetting things that are important to us. Well, the problem is (at least partially) that we spend so much time telling them to think that we close off a good part of their awareness of the outside world. Promoting Spiritual Development You don’t have to be religious or interested in religion to recognize the intrinsic value of meditation, even though, in many of the world’s religious traditions, it is inseparable from spiritual development. For the moment, it is not necessary to add anything more on this issue, except that for all practitioners, whatever their religious beliefs, meditation can offer a new way of seeing the world, a way in which the interdependence of all things is transformed into a vivid experience, and in which feelings of compassion and love towards one’s neighbor become an integral part of the vision of the environment. In addition to these psychological and spiritual benefits, meditation is also beneficial in terms of health goals. Although it varies from one person to another, in general it can include a decrease in blood pressure, a decrease in heart rate and many other psychological benefits derived from relaxation and a decrease in stress levels. These benefits not only act during the specific practice of meditation, but extend to daily life. Meditators typically feel calmer and less prone to anxiety and negative emotions. As well as better able to face the challenges and tensions of life. On the other hand, by having their ideas in order in their minds thanks to the meditation practices they have carried out before executing any task that requires exhausting effort, they are often able to do it in a more satisfactory way and with less pressure.