Meditation is a trip

Have you ever participated in the practice of meditation?

Meditation is simple; not easy, simple. To meditate means to focus your attention on a single thing. It is merely recognizing the thoughts that are floating through your mind and to let them drift on by. It is the act of recognition without ownership. It is the art of not applying any of your energy to the things that your brain wants to concentrate on. It can be as simple as saying “I’m not going to think about that now,” and turning your attention to concentrating on your breathing or some other singular thing.

You can meditate alone in the quiet or on a busy subway train.

You can listen to someone else give you things to intentionally think about, as in guided meditation; or you can have agency over your own train of thought.

So why meditate?

There are three main reasons to practice meditation: to quiet the mind of its busy-ness; to gain insight into the emotions and thoughts that keep appearing; and to reduce stress for more calm.

Quieting the mind increases focus and helps one to gain more control over scattered mental energy and teaches one to pay attention. Learning to pay attention helps to be aware of thoughts and feelings without letting them get out of control.

Meditation assists in calming one by lowering tension. Meditating activates the parasympathetic nervous system, slowing heart rate and lowering blood pressure. This breaks the stress cycle which helps to improve mood and even sleep.