Written by Menswear Style in Health & Fitness on the 11th February 2021

For thousands of years, since the beginning of time, people have been searching for the answers to life’s greatest mysteries. Things like, where do we come from? Why are we here? Is there a world beyond ours? Is it possible to find meaning in things that aren’t physical? The quest for answers in life’s spiritual journey is not always easy, and they often come in forms we can’t always perceive, but it’s important to always be learning. A part of this learning process is indulging in the spiritual actions that can help one unlock more learning about what the universe can teach us. Unraveling all of the mysteries would take 100s of lifetimes, but luckily we live in a timeline that can provide so many learning opportunities. One of which being meditation. Meditation has been a practice of cultures, societies, religions, and all manner of beings since the dawn of time, so it makes sense how this is such an important part of spirituality. Here is some very useful information that everyone should know about meditation, and why it can be beneficial.

What is Meditation? 

Meditation, at its core, is the belief that channeling your energy through mindfulness, focus, and relaxation, will help you reach a point of clarity and understanding. This is used to varying degrees, but often people use it for the sole reason of calming themselves or attempting to find a state of calm and stability. Many use meditation as an accessible form of spiritual ascension. It’s believed that meditation can help the mind wander into areas that it can’t perceive during consciousness which helps stop you from truly relaxing. There are many who believe it works and many who don’t, but there is yet to be any concrete answers on the spiritual aspect of meditation because we still have much to learn. However, plenty of the health benefits do appear to be documented enough to believe in their legitimacy, which is cause for celebration on the virtues of meditative practices.

Types of Meditation 

The most common belief is that all meditation is the same, just under a different flag, but this is not true. In fact, plenty of people practice forms of meditation without realising it. A big one is yoga, as the act of being in tune with your mind and body at the same time is a form of mindfulness in an effort to reach a particular state. There is also ascension meditation, which is a form of the many meditative practices that strive to help individuals achieve higher consciousness. Then there’s mantra meditation, used by the Hindu and Buddhist religions, where a tranquil state is reached through repetitive use of a meditative word. There is an abundance of meditation types, and they do not all offer the same benefits, but the core belief is that the practice of these mindful actions will lead to a better you, mentally and spiritually. Each mediation technique has its own advantages, so it’s helpful to experiment to figure out which one you find is most beneficial to you, and which you’d like to learn more about as plenty of them have a rich history. 

Where Can I Learn More About Meditation? 

As mentioned, there may be a long and storied history to many of these mediation types. With regards to mantra meditation, the history is steeped in Eastern religious teachings which makes it a good way to learn beyond your preconceived notions of religious and spiritual knowledge. Expanding your mind spiritually isn’t always about the journey inward from a metaphysical perspective, but a good exercise in how to absorb material knowledge to help you grow as a person. You can learn from meditation teachers, religious teachers, video resources online, and a trip to your local library. The more knowledge you gather the more beneficial your spiritual journey can be.

Things You Should Have for Meditating 

You don’t need anything to meditate, as meditation is not about material wealth but emotional and spiritual wealth, but it doesn’t hurt to make your experience more relaxing. A few things people like to have during their meditation setups are candles. Candles are an excellent addition to a meditation room because they add a more heightened sensory experience as well as providing relaxative properties like scents. Similarly, you may want to consider a nice meditation rug that is comfortable for prolonged periods at a time while sitting, but again, meditation can be done anywhere or anytime. 

How to Supplement Your Meditative Efforts 

To truly get the most benefit out of your meditative efforts, you need to live a lifestyle that is actively in tune with your goals. Reaching a point of mindfulness and a state of calm is not easy, and filling your body with toxins or living a life that is hectic and stressful can diminish your goals. It’s hard to be perfectly in tune with meditation, but exercising and committing to a healthy lifestyle along with proper nutrition is a good start. You should practice dream journaling to understand your subconscious state better and try to exercise mindfulness and relaxation as often as you can. These are efforts that bolster the purpose of meditation.

Health Benefits to Meditation 

The primary benefits of meditation for your health are decreased stress and anxiety. When you can lower the levels of stress and anxiety in your body, you can limit reactions like panic attacks. These attacks dramatically spike blood pressure and can lead to hypertension and heart disease if unchecked or untreated over time. Similarly, cortisol spikes are a result of panic attacks and anxiety and over time are bad for your blood and heart systems as well. Mediation is useful in calming the body to lower stress levels, and in turn, protect from these complications. 

Meditation is often maligned as hippy nonsense, but what detractors of this practice do not realise is that meditation is what you make of it. Whether you believe in the spiritual aspects or not, there is something for everyone in the act of meditating that is worth exploring.

A detailed guide to meditation, types of meditation, and health benefits of meditation in this blog post on what you should know about meditation.