Transform Your Life With Meditation

The ancients knew what they were doing when they developed meditation. This
soothing, calming practice not only helps you relax, but also provides many
proven physical benefits.
By Linda FosterMedically reviewed by Cynthia Haines, MD

Our minds are constantly busy. We think about the future and the past. We judge
and analyze who and what we encounter, often unknowingly. This endless internal
chatter leaves little room for peace of mind. But meditation may be able to help
you quell the chatter, achieve that inner peace, and reap physical and
emotional, benefits.

There are many types of meditation, says Philip L. Jones, LCSW, a meditation
teacher in Columbia, Mo. Some types are meant to calm you down, while others are
designed to help you develop qualities that you value.

"Meditation is not concerned with thinking about or reflecting on something,"
says Jones. "Meditation is a way of turning attention inward. What one does with
that attention depends on the goal or purpose of the meditation."

Meditation Practices That Calm

To help you relax, relieve stress, and become more tranquil, Jones suggests the
following types of meditation:
Concentration meditation
Absorption meditation, also called jhana
Transcendental meditation

"These bring your attention back, again and again, to the breath, an image,
word, or sound that can lead to a sense of calmness," he says.

Meditation Practices That Develop Valued Qualities

Other forms of meditation can help you improve your acceptance of self and
others and your sense of compassion, give you insight into the nature of life's
experiences, and enhance your ability to meet life's difficulties with
contentment and equanimity. If your goal is to develop qualities like these,
Jones suggests trying one of these types of meditation:

Vipassana, or insight meditation

Mindfulness meditation

Zazen, or zen meditation


Research on Buddhist Meditation Training
One recent study on meditation looked at two types of Buddhist meditation
training, called focused attention and open monitoring meditation.

Focused attention meditation involves maintaining moment-to-moment focus on your
breath, a sound, or an object. With focused attention, when the mind wanders
away from the point of focus, you continually return to that object of
attention. It helps you concentrate with little effort and helps you remain calm
in the presence of negative emotional events.

Open monitoring meditation calls for you to watch your thoughts and feelings
without reacting to them. With open monitoring, you learn to observe the ebb and
flow of "mind chatter" in a detached way — not following a thought. This type of
meditation helps you to be more flexible emotionally and, like focused
attention, less reactive to negative emotional events.

What the researchers found when they looked at these two types of Buddhist
meditation was that both forms of have a semi-permanent, positive impact on both
the brain and behavior.

Physical Effects of Meditation

Other research has shown that long-term meditation thickens the cortex of the
brain in areas associated with processing input from the senses, attention, and
awareness of what's going on inside the body.

An analysis of 20 scientific studies demonstrated that mindfulness meditation
could eliminate physical and psychological suffering. The studies covered a wide
range of ailments, from pain and cancer to anxiety and depression. Meditation
can also lower blood pressure and positively affect heart health, researchers
say.

How to Meditate

According to Jones, there are many ways to meditate:

By repeating a word, syllable, or phrase

By visualizing an image or a scene or by focusing attention on a light, a flame,
or a colored object
While walking, sitting, standing, or lying down

One of the simplest ways to meditate is by focusing attention on one location in
the body such as the tip of the nose, the upper lip, the chest, or the abdomen.
Then, as you breathe in and breathe out, notice the sensations in this location.
Jones recommends that each time your attention wanders away from this location
and the sensations of breathing, you gently bring attention back to the same
spot and to the sensations of your breath.

If you're reluctant to try one of these techniques on your own, a meditation
teacher can get you started and guide you through the process.

Life-Enhancing Benefits of Meditation

While meditation is not a form of psychotherapy, sometimes psychological
insights do arise during meditation, says Jones.

Besides the numerous physical and mental-health benefits, as you practice
meditating and are able to pay more attention to your moment-to-moment
experience, you will more clearly notice the little details of life: the wind
against your skin, the smell of the ocean, and the sounds of nature.

"In this way, you become more vibrant and alive," says Jones.