Meditation

Meditating person's handMeditation is a period of relaxed contemplation, usually to achieve some benefit or goal such as increased spiritual awareness, relaxation, or intellectual fulfillment. The term is a broad one, and can characterize a wide variety of practices ranging from deep breathing to inducing a state of altered consciousness. It often, though not always, requires a specific posture and breathing pattern.

History of Meditation
Meditation has been around for thousands of years, and many religious traditions have used some variety of meditation. Buddhist meditation is perhaps the best-known form of meditation, and has heavily influenced Western meditation practices. Buddha emphasized that meditation could help a person develop serenity and insight.

Modern meditation as practiced by many in mainstream U.S. culture often focuses on attaining calmness and mindfulness and is not necessarily designed to seek religious enlightenment. Deep-breathing and focus on a single object or a complete emptying of the mind may be involved.

Benefits of Meditation
Meditation has been advocated for in alternative medicine for many years, and there are several studies demonstrating that it can cause positive physical and psychological changes. In some people, meditation can help reduce asthma, allergies, high blood pressure, and pain. Many advocates of meditation point out that the state of the mind affects the state of the body, and that a peaceful mind can enable the body to heal itself.

Role in Psychotherapy
Many psychotherapists incorporate meditation and other mindfulness techniques into their practice. Therapists who recommend meditation may teach people simple deep-breathing techniques or encourage specific meditation practices such as Zen yoga or repeating mantras. Meditation is particularly effective at easing the symptoms of anxiety, and people with posttraumatic stress may be able to reduce the frequency of intrusive thoughts and flashbacks with meditation. People struggling with substance abuse problems may use meditation to reduce their cravings, focus on healing, and increase self-awareness and self-esteem.

References:

  1. Mayo Clinic. (2011, April 21). Meditation: A simple, fast way to reduce stress. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/meditation/HQ01070
  2. Moore, A. (2009). Meditation. New York, NY: Rosen Publishing Group.

Last Updated: 08-11-2015

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  • Tricia

    November 16th, 2015 at 10:37 AM

    Can someone please recommend some meditation CDs that would be good for meditation. I’m one of those people that cannot meditate in silence, and most of the meditation music I’ve heard is too inconsistent towards relaxation.
    Thank you!
    Tricia
    Please! please! Any ideas of names!

  • marvin g.

    October 2nd, 2016 at 11:25 AM

    try listening to Sade she is really good and her music is often soft and silky

  • MellissaS

    January 30th, 2017 at 7:29 AM

    How about enigma with the sing “sail away” or some slow jams”

  • Wendy

    June 18th, 2017 at 11:09 AM

    Mindfulness a practical guide to Finding Peace In A Frantic World by Mark Williams and Danny Penman. It comes with a CD with several meditation practices on. I highly recommend it 😊

  • Marek

    January 3rd, 2020 at 12:46 AM

    Learn TM. It’s super easy to learn an practice and it really gives great results.

  • Cody C.

    February 9th, 2017 at 1:09 PM

    Have you looked into Binaural Beats Meditation? It’s a technology where you listen to a calm mp3 file and it helps your brain relax by teaching it how to respond. Some expert meditators call this cheating, but I find it nice when it’s hard to focus or sit still. Check out binauralbeatsmeditation.com or ennora.com. You do have to pay about $10 per “song,” but these are supposed to be the more effective, affordable ones. If you look hard enough, you’ll also find some free ones, but they may or may not be high-quality.

  • Dr.Stephen Wong

    April 15th, 2017 at 12:55 AM

    Mindfullness based intervention needs to understand the philosophy of Buddha.

  • Alicia

    September 27th, 2022 at 7:53 PM

    YouTube videos meditation and healing channel subscribe

  • Lisa

    April 16th, 2023 at 12:27 AM

    I became permanently disabled in 2015 after being hit by a car and two spinal fusion surgeries. I also married the man of my dreams in 1998 (a Criminal Defense Attorney & my 2nd marriage).Although college educated & in upper level management at a Fortune 500 Health Insurance company for more than 22 years, I lost everything I worked my entire life for & he walked away after 8 1/2 years (He was very connected, charismatic, unethical & proceeded to watch my children and I, completely broken from the loving family we lost & I received no financial support (alimony, etc.). My grown children still communicate with him and after 18 years, i continue to struggle now on disability. I really want to heal but my therapist of 17 years had to retire due to massive heart attack. I am located in Jacksonville Florida & would sincerely appreciate any information or resources I could trust to help me

  • Charlotte

    April 17th, 2023 at 12:51 PM

    Dear Lisa, that sounds really difficult, finding a therapist you connect to is so important. To search for one in your area, please enter your city or ZIP code into the search field on this page: https://www.goodtherapy.org/find-therapist.html. Once you enter your information, you’ll be directed to a list of therapists and counselors who meet your criteria. You may click to view our members’ full profiles and contact the therapists themselves for more information. Please reach out directly if you need help finding a therapist. We are in the office Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Mountain Time, and our phone number is 888-563-2112 ext 3. Kind regards, The GoodTherapy Team

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