The term “meditation” conjures up images of eastern mystics and yogis lost in self-induced mental oblivion while poised in seemingly unnatural bodily positions. We see the Buddha – all-compassionate and wise. We see the adepts of other cultures engaged in activities that we do not understand. The common American view of meditation has always been one of fascination and secret admiration.
Many disciplines that have stemmed from eastern philosophies are being integrated into American society now. Technological advancements such as the Internet make our general population privy to knowledge of holistic health systems previously unknown to us. We’re finding out that meditation is not really so mysterious at all. What is mysterious is the fact that the American organizations that control medicinal practices have fought so long and hard to stop this type of knowledge from becoming recognized.
Powerful and rich pharmaceutical companies want to sell us their drugs. In America, it seems everybody is addicted to any number of legalized concoctions of chemicals. The government embraces this readily because these companies line its pockets with gold. This gold is a direct result of 200,000,000 governmentally-accepted drug addicts.
Meditation is a natural process that is not mysterious at all. Those who practice meditation regularly are healthier in every respect as compared to those who do not. It has been clinically proven by neuroscientists that during meditation brain activity shifts from the stress-prone right frontal cortex to the calm and collected left frontal cortex. That means that meditators are experiencing more happiness.
When a human being regularly engages in practices of meditation, the mental shifts that occur decrease the effects of stress. Even the AMA has finally admitted that up to 80% of all diseases are stress-related. Anxiety and depression are direct results of our constantly competitive lifestyles. We have to struggle to stay on top. We have to police the world. We have to do this and we have to do that because were Americans, right? Wrong!
Meditation is not simply sitting down for 15 minutes here and there and trying to focus our thoughts. It is far more than that. In a nutshell, to meditate is to be constantly aware of our actions, our thoughts, our speech and our breathing. The goal is to meditate every second of every day. It’s not something that you do like going to the gym. It’s something you do while you’re at the gym, at work, in your car, at home, in the middle of the night when you wake up to pee, when you’re playing with your children, when you’re watching a movie with your wife, when you’re at church and when you’re at a bar.
Meditation is not a simple activity although it is the most naturally-simplistic thing that you can do. It is a way of life. When you hear somebody say “Be quiet now, I’m going to meditate.” - it shows that they do not understand the meaning of meditation. There’s nothing wrong with what they’re doing. It’s just that if they had a better understanding, then they would more effectively bring about the benefits that they are trying to achieve.
Here are just a few of the uncountable benefits of meditation:
Decreased oxygen consumption
Decreased respiratory rates
Increased blood flow with decreased heart rate
Increased exercise tolerance
Deep levels of relaxation
Reduced anxiety
Lessened muscle tension
Increased serotonin production that helps to defeat symptoms of depression, manage obesity and rid us of both tension and migraine headaches.
Boosts natural immune system responses and abilities
There are so many more benefits to meditation. Educate yourself. Use the vast resources that we have as Americans to dispel the myths that have been created by our greedy government. You have the right to choose your own health practices. You have the right to meditate. You have the right to do yoga. You have the right to broaden your mind and explore philosophical texts that have been in existence for thousands and thousands of years.
Take control over your life. Be responsible for your own health and happiness. When you have an ailment, refrain from getting a prescription for another drug. Do your part to stop the pharmaceutical companies from becoming richer. Embrace and assimilate holistic health practices like meditation, herbology, any of the disciplines of yoga and pranayama. Drink plenty of fresh water. Change your high-fat American diet to one that consists of water-rich foods. By doing so, your life will be enhanced in every way imaginable.
R E D E F I N E !!