Why Meditation is Good for Health and Well Being

Medically reviewed by Erin Colvin
Medically reviewed by Erin Colvin on June 30, 2020
Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, Certified Massage Therapist
Updated on June 30th, 2020
Meditation for Health

In every life, there will always be challenges. Be it a financial struggle, a death in the family, the loss of a job, a divorce, and a pandemic; We will all go through difficult times to test our mettle.

Circumstances can be so upsetting that some people forget to, or cannot eat, while others will react by binge eating all the comfort foods they can get their hands on, in an attempt to dull the pain stabbing at their hearts. Some will fall into depression and prefer the escape of sleep to avoid their perceived obstacles.

Unfortunately, others run to alcohol or drugs – a path that usually doesn’t get anybody anywhere except in trouble with their health, their family, and even their law enforcement agencies. Different people have different reactions when their lives turn stormy and volatile.  

Meditation for Health & Mental Fitness

However, there is a simple, free, and effective form of self-care that will calm the mind, relax the body, and raise the spirit, regardless of personality or predicament. Everyone has heard of meditation(1), but how many of us have truly given it a solid try?

If visions of a yogi, sitting in lotus position with a bare midriff, hands clapped in the prayer position, holding a burning incense stick between his toes comes to mind, you might be reading a little far into a stereotype.

While meditation certainly can celebrate rituals and employ tools like bells, singing bowls, stones, smudging sage, mudras, or chanting, it doesn’t have to. Anybody can find a quiet place to sit, for even a few minutes, and close their eyes to focus on their breathing- briefly blocking out the world and giving their mind a reboot.

Meditation can be as uncomplicated or as adventurous as one wishes. 

There are several types to discover, including, but not limited to:

  • Guided meditation
  • Metta-Loving Kindness Meditation
  • Transcendental Meditation
  • Chakra Meditation
  • Yoga 
  • Vipassana Meditation
  • Visualization Meditation
  • Movement Meditation
  • Body Scan Meditation
  • Religious Meditation
  • Qigong

Each type of meditation will appeal to different individuals. It can be fun to try different forms on different days of the week, to change things up and expand your spiritual practice. You can also develop your own specialized form of meditation by pulling things you like from several different styles.

[Also Read: Types of Meditation For Depression ]

Whichever forms of meditation suite your style, it will make positive changes in your mood, your outlook on life, and your health. A regular meditation practice can improve the symptoms of anxiety, fear, and depression. It can lower blood pressure, reduce stress, improve sleep, and lengthen your attention span.

Meditation is both relaxing and energizing. In today’s world of unpredictability and uncertainty, a calm, focused mind is your best tool to navigate the inevitable turbulence that befalls every life from time to time.

Adding meditation to your daily schedule is a simple yet amazingly effective way to promote well-being, and to allow yourself a gift of calm in any storm.


About The Author:

Erin ColvinErin Colvin is the owner of A New Leaf Holistic Health Coaching. She is a graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Erin holds additional certification in Plant-Based Nutrition from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutritional Studies at Cornell University.

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