A Look at Meditation Essay -- Meditation Health Medical Essays

A Look at MeditationIn this modern day and age, the negative effects of stress argonunavoidable. People have tried various methods to help cope with stress,everything from exercise and diet to alternative methods care biofeedback.However, the most effective method to deal with stress is not one of thesemodern methods but rather a 5,000 year-old idea Meditation. Meditation not totallyhelps reduce the negative effects of stress, but also leads to a better sense ofwell-being by uniting mind and body.The basic principles and practices of conjecture are rooted in Hinduism,an Asian religion whose followers believe that the soul is eternal and maintainsan eternal relationship with God. Hindus believe that beca engage the soul iseternal, it must reincarnate in various forms to retain this everlastingrelationship. Thousands of young people flocked to the ideas of Hinduism in the1970s to escape the drug culture of the successions.As the troubled youth of the 1970s matures into the profess ionals ofthe 1990s, the practice of meditation has been integrated into the medicalfield and studied for its effect on the body and mind. The physical practice ofmeditation slows and calms the body, lowering blood pressure and heart rate withthe use of deep breathing exercises.The calming of the body in itself works to fight stress but those whomeditate say that meditation also helps to replenish the mind. The mind, alongwith the body, needs to feel at peace. In the hustle and bustle of thetechnological age, we often seek out materialistic means of happiness. Somepursue hobbies that manage rock climbing that present both physical and mentalchallenges to satisfy this need while others stretch out in front of thetelevision to relax.We access our search for a better sense of well-being on asuperficial level instead of dealing with the issues that are the root cause ofour pain. We dont real understand what happiness is and therefore spend ourtime and energy trying to get rid of the pain instead of confronting it. If weturn to meditation to guide us through the journey of self-awareness. If anindividual is aware of the cause of his pain, he can better understand it andcope instead of letting it determine the course of his life. It is not theactual event that produces a stressful response, but r... ...pierand healthier than she did in college due to the growth of consciousness.Whatever you apply yourself to, you are more successful.La Fave says that with time and practice, the mind and body can bepeaceful and potentially stressful situations no longer have power to cause thebody harm.The Maharishi Vedic University is soon putting together acurriculum for the development of human consciousness that not only teachesmeditation but also a healthier steering of life. They are located off the capitolsquare at 23 N. Pickney and can be reached at (608)255-4447. La Fave encouragesanyone interested in learning about meditation to call or stop by.The search for a better sense of well-being is a life-long one. Whatmakes an individual feel satisfaction and inner peace changes as time goes bybut are rarely achieved without training the mind. Meditation forces itspractitioner to return to the self, to confront the obstacles of life, not pushthem away.Works CitedKrishna-izing the World by Richard Vara, The Houston Chronicle, Feb. 2, 1991. Opening Up to Happiness by Mark Epstein, M.D., Psychology Today, July August 1993.