Thinking about meditation can summon internal pictures of monks or yogis sitting in a crossed legged position with their eyes closed and a tranquil expression on their face. You can be forgiven for imagining that only such diligent practitioners of this relaxing art can reap great rewards. After all, most other people who meditate only do so for a short while each day. However, studies show that it is not only experts that are blessed with the amazing results that meditation can afford. You can change your mindset for the better and learn how to deal with potentially stressful situations easily if you adopt meditation as a habit. Furthermore, you can enhance your ability to empathize with people and understand them, even when they are very different to you.

The fact that highly conscientious practitioners of meditation seem extremely balanced, taking situations that other mortals would consider stressful in their stride, is no mistake. Years of mindfully relaxing, or entering the void of ‘no-thought’ has altered their neural pathways intensely. In the same way, people who take twenty minutes per day to meditate can also develop helpful changes in their thought patterns.

Studies reveal that people who do not meditate tend to have fortified links or pathways in their brain between the part of their medial prefrontal cortex that deals with processing what is happening to them and their Amygdala and Insula. The Amygdala is responsible for the fight-or-flight response to fear, and the Insula suggests the best way of dealing with physical sensations and is connected with empathy. When these parts of the brain are strongly coupled, unconstructive emotional responses to experiences can occur. The result can be that people ruminate a great deal over problems relating to the past and fail to let go of them. They might also inappropriately conclude that situations are worthy of a fear response.

On the other hand, people who meditate experience decreased unhelpful responses to situations and are less likely to attribute them incorrectly to danger. They are better able to assess what is happening in constructive ways and remain calm. At the same time, they are able to imagine what it might feel like to be someone who is not similar to them, which means that they can show great empathy and compassion despite differences in outlooks. People who meditate are equipped to be non-judgmental, peaceful, and shrewd since links between their prefrontal cortex and their amygdala and insula are reduced. Instead, neural pathways to another part of their brain, the lateral prefrontal cortex, are reinforced. The lateral prefrontal cortex helps them make balanced judgments. In a way, it may be likened to the higher self, since it aids people in thinking wisely.

If you want to experience the benefits of meditating relating to changes in your brain, you need to set aside time each day to practice and make doing so an ongoing process. Studies suggest that areas of the brain that are worked on regularly become strong due to repetitious behavior, but neural connections can decrease once work ceases. However, the rewards gained must surely be greater than the time-related costs of meditating. In addition, it is empowering to know that you can easily develop your brain simply by relaxing.

References:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/use-your-mind-change-your-brain/201305/is-your-brain-meditation

http://www.pureinsight.org/node/4737

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WHY MEDITATION?

When your mind races due to stress or excitement, it can be impossible to sleep. One anxiety-provoking thought leads to another or each spark of an idea in your head fires up your brain instead of peacefully sending it to the land of Nod. Meditation can be beneficial under such circumstances since it soothes the brain, taking your mind down to lower vibrational frequencies.

Hyper-alert people, which include you if you cannot turn down the rumblings in your mind, operate via fast brainwaves, which keep them stuck in a flight-or-fight state of consciousness. Their systems are ready for action rather than amiable to winding down.

There again, you might be finding getting to sleep hard since you just cannot get comfortable. If you are in pain or discomfort due to an illness or injury, or simply experiencing aches and pains from over-exercising, it can be difficult to find a good position in which to sleep and stop signals of uneasiness stemming from your body. Meditating can make you so deeply relaxed that you no longer notice bodily sensations since your concentrating flows inwards to your mind.

There are many types of meditation, and a great deal are practiced during the day and are not intended to stimulate sleep, just an alert state of peacefulness. Nonetheless, you can meditate yourself to sleep, or at least use meditation to help you rest comfortably while you are still awake.

Meditation techniques that help with sleep are often combined with brainwave training in order to help calm down the synaptic vibrations between neurons in the brain. You can also listen to a meditation audio, or simply tune your thoughts toward mindfulness, whereby you pay full attention to your breath as you slowly breathe in and out deeply. It is also possible to focus on relaxing parts of your body, one by one, by repeatedly telling yourself that each part in question is comfortably heavy and that you are relaxed. The sensations induced by doing so encourage your body to relax so deeply that you feel incredibly comfortable and calm, which is how you want to be when you desire to sleep.

There is no point in lying awake while feeling uncomfortable and focusing on problems. If you just do not seem to be able to sleep, try meditating in a fashion that suits your needs and you are likely to nod-off sooner than you expect.

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WHAT TYPE OF SENSATIONS MIGHT YOU EXPERIENCE?

You might feel a sense of being at one with the universe, which in a way, is the opposite of concentrating on your body as you will feel as though your consciousness does not reside in a physical form.

You might feel lightheaded, or experience a tingling sensation. Some people report that they have involuntary movements such as a hand rising, while others say that their body twitches.

Basically, you might have a wide variety of physical sensations, or none at all. Either way, the very act of relaxing will be beneficial.

WHY DO PEOPLE HAVE SENSATIONS?

The jury is out regarding why some people experience sensations while they meditate. Some teachers of meditation explain the phenomena by saying that they are caused by the release of stress as part of a healing process that takes place. Others say that sensations occur simply because the brain is relaxed. What we do know, is that people tend to become more aware of physical sensations while they meditate. Instead of focusing on the outside world as they normally do, they pay attention to their inner-world, including their body. If, as you meditate, you concentrate on the process of breathing, or on your heart area, or perhaps chakra points, you will pull your attention in the direction of how your body feels. You might experience an awareness of sensations that regularly occur, but which you do not usually notice when not meditating.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO WHEN YOU HAVE SENSATIONS?

If you experience sensations, you might like to imagine that you are breathing into the areas of your body in question and make doing so part of your meditation practice. Alternatively, you can just allow them to happen without paying them any more or less attention.

It can be normal to discover that you become aware of your body and of specific sensations while you meditate. Instead of letting them worry you, you can make them part of your practice purposefully, or allow them to simply happen.

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BREATH: THE KEY TO EXPANSION

Of course, if you did not breathe, your physical body would die. However, breathing is not simply about keeping you alive. With the power of slow circular breathing, inhaling and exhaling without an interval in-between, you can fully experience your emotions and produce clear thought. It is thought that people can find the ecstasy that is already within them when they breathe mindfully. Furthermore, ecstasy and bliss are key elements of enlightenment.

However, it should be noted that some individuals find circular breathing brings up hidden emotions, as in those that are residing in the subconscious until the right time comes to emerge. Gently teasing out unresolved feelings can be a healing experience, but only if you are ready to manage them. If you think you have a great deal of emotional baggage that requires unpacking gradually, it might be worthwhile taking small steps toward gaining enlightenment through breathing techniques instead of charging into the fray.

MINDFULNESS

Mindful meditation involves relaxed focus, which is not the same as tense focus. There is no mental strain or struggle when you apply your mind in this manner. After practicing deep breathing while meditating, catch the space between thoughts where silence exists. Notice inner chatter stops now and then, and expand the gap as you become aware of its existence. When passing thoughts arise and self-talk begins again, notice that it is there, but mentally stand back from the experience and watch thoughts as an observer. Allow internal dialogue to drift, as it will easily pass if you do not feed it via attention. Bring your focus back to the gap between thoughts.

When inner talk ceases, your mind is no longer bombarded by your ego and you can more easily encounter the collective unconscious. You will find that your awareness increases the more often you take a mental break from thoughts that clutter the direct line to enlightenment.

EXPANDING THE AREA OF NO-THOUGHT

The idea of expanding the area of no-thought might seem like a paradox, since you need to think about not thinking in order to do so! However, after practicing often, you will discover that entering the gap between thoughts is automatic, and your mind will generate expansion without requiring direction.

When expansion of the mind occurs, it is like opening your eyes wider to let in more light. Your mind is able to perceive more than when it was partially closed.

Along your journey, you may experience great joy followed by bouts of mental turmoil, as your ego attempts to reemerge. You can best handle such challenges by treating your ego as you do passing thoughts. Do not bother to fight or criticize your mind’s antics. Instead, go back to being the observer, and at other times, treat your ego with compassion and kindness instead of anger or resentment.

Plenty of information abounds claiming to help people gain enlightenment in a matter of minutes. Nevertheless, enlightenment is a journey of the expansion of awareness, healing, and the absorption and integration of meaning, and is not meant to be rushed. Gently opening your inner eye to awareness, at a pace that is right for you, is the healthiest and most beneficial option. You can begin via breathing and mindfulness, and simply allow the awareness of enlightenment to flow naturally.

References:
http://vivation.com/inspiration/articles/mahamudra-and-the-breath-of-enlightenment/

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