The Ancient Power of Meditation.

"Meditation is simply about being yourself and knowing about who that is. It is about coming to realize that you are on a path whether you like it or not, namely the path that is your life." -Jon Kabat-Zinn- "Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort & Joy" by Sarah Ban Breathnach
For most of us, when we hear the word "meditate", we immediately conjure up images of an extremely limber and "ultra-human" Shaolin monk, levitating in the Himalayan mountains or a half-naked Yoga master in some twisted position, floating mid-air. (For me at least!) While there are many forms of meditation, these are a bit unrealistic and  we doubt we can ever be able to "transcend" beyond our current chaotic lives. 

However...meditation, in it's simplest form, means to quiet the mind for once, of all the usual mental banter that takes place (usually negative and self-defeating) and to connect with our inner and Higher Self.  It is a time to allow our own spirit as well as the ultimate Source of it all to connect and to communicate.  It is the time when we allow Source (Creator, God) to speak the answers to life's many questions, within us, without interference from the outside world. We become One with divinity.

The beauty of it is that you can meditate on a particular issue, asking for guidance and simply waiting for an answer. You can also just choose to focus on the amazing and extraordinary strength, beauty and wonder that you harness as a Divine human being; on Universal love.  Whatever your soul then needs.

It is important though, that you find (or CREATE) a sacred space where you feel completely free to be yourself, to be comfortable and most importantly, quiet.  It is not often that you can hear a whisper in a noisy room. If, at first, you find it difficult to concentrate, try focusing on stabilizing your breath.  Become one with it and feel the invigoration upon inhalations and with your exhalations, release all tensions or fears.  It is quite interesting just how many benefits meditation has on the human body. Take a look below:


1- It lowers oxygen consumption.
2- It decreases respiratory rate.
3- It increases blood flow and slows the heart rate.
4- Increases exercise tolerance.
5- Leads to a deeper level of physical relaxation.
6- Good for people with high blood pressure.
7- Reduces anxiety attacks by lowering the levels of blood lactate.
8- Decreases muscle tension
9- Helps in chronic diseases like allergies, arthritis etc.
10- Reduces Pre-menstrual Syndrome symptoms.
11- Helps in post-operative healing.
12- Enhances the immune system.
13- Reduces activity of viruses and emotional distress
14- Enhances energy, strength and vigour.
15- Helps with weight loss
16- Reduction of free radicals, less tissue damage
17- Higher skin resistance
18- Drop in cholesterol levels, lowers risk of cardiovascular disease.
19- Improved flow of air to the lungs resulting in easier breathing.
20- Decreases the aging process.
21- Higher levels of DHEAS (Dehydroepiandrosterone)
22- prevented, slowed or controlled pain of chronic diseases
23- Makes you sweat less
24- Cure headaches & migraines
25- Greater Orderliness of Brain Functioning
26- Reduced Need for Medical Care
27- Less energy wasted
28- More inclined to sports, activities
29- Significant relief from asthma
30- improved performance in athletic events
31- Normalizes to your ideal weight
32- harmonizes our endocrine system
33- relaxes our nervous system
34- produce lasting beneficial changes in brain electrical activity
35- Cure infertility (the stresses of infertility can interfere with the release of hormones that regulate ovulation).

36- Builds self-confidence.
37- Increases serotonin level, influences mood and behaviour.
38- Resolve phobias & fears
39- Helps control own thoughts
40- Helps with focus & concentration
41- Increase creativity
42- Increased brain wave coherence.
43- Improved learning ability and memory.
44- Increased feelings of vitality and rejuvenation.
45- Increased emotional stability.
46- improved relationships
47- Mind ages at slower rate
48- Easier to remove bad habits
49- Develops intuition
50- Increased Productivity
51- Improved relations at home & at work
52- Able to see the larger picture in a given situation
53- Helps ignore petty issues
54- Increased ability to solve complex problems
55- Purifies your character
56- Develop will power
57- greater communication between the two brain hemispheres
58- react more quickly and more effectively to a stressful event.
59- increases one’s perceptual ability and motor performance
60- higher intelligence growth rate
61- Increased job satisfaction
62- increase in the capacity for intimate contact with loved ones
63- decrease in potential mental illness
64- Better, more sociable behaviour
65- Less aggressiveness
66- Helps in quitting smoking, alcohol addiction
67- Reduces need and dependency on drugs, pills & pharmaceuticals
68- Need less sleep to recover from sleep deprivation
69- Require less time to fall asleep, helps cure insomnia
70- Increases sense of responsibility
71- Reduces road rage
72- Decrease in restless thinking
73- Decreased tendency to worry
74- Increases listening skills and empathy
75- Helps make more accurate judgements
76- Greater tolerance
77- Gives composure to act in considered & constructive ways
78- Grows a stable, more balanced personality
79- Develops emotional maturity


80- Helps keep things in perspective
81- Provides peace of mind, happiness
82- Helps you discover your purpose
83- Increased self-actualization.
84- Increased compassion
85- Growing wisdom
86- Deeper understanding of yourself and others
87- Brings body, mind, spirit in harmony
88- Deeper Level of spiritual relaxation
89- Increased acceptance of oneself
90- helps learn forgiveness
91- Changes attitude toward life
92- Creates a deeper relationship with your God
93- Attain enlightenment
94- greater inner-directedness
95- Helps living in the present moment
96- Creates a widening, deepening capacity for love
97- Discovery of the power and consciousness beyond the ego
98- Experience an inner sense of “Assurance or Knowingness”
99- Experience a sense of “Oneness”
100- Increases the synchronicity in your life

After immersing myself in many wonderful books on Self-Empowerment, Improvement and Life in general, I have to realize the importance of this ancient, mystical practice. I have always been a person to over-analyze everything and literally would lay in bed each night, replaying all the events of my day. (Yes! In chronological order!) I'm sure this is true for many as well. No wonder why we feel like we can hardly get out of our own way! Try it for short while and see how many benefits you start to notice. What have you got to lose? It's free!