Meditation for Emotional Balance

Meditation is one of the best overall ways to support emotional balance to reduce stress, anxiety, panic, sleep difficulty, and even depression. Scientific research shows that meditation has effects in the brain and body that might explain why this ancient practice could play a vital role in a healthy, balanced lifestyle.

Meditation for Stress

Stress causes muscle tension, worry, inability to concentrate, and agitation. Meditation can help counteract these physical and emotional stress responses by inducing the body’s natural relaxation response. Studies show that meditation can improve circulation, slow the heart rate, decrease respiration, and lower levels of stress hormones in the blood, all of which can increase the feeling of calm and reduce stress.

Meditation for Anxiety

Anxiety involves constant worry, often about unimportant situations or problems that have been blown out of proportion. Meditation can help put things in perspective. By clearing the mind of thought and calming the breathing, meditation helps get the practitioner in touch with his or her inner self and bring problems into focus so that it is easier to distinguish between what is really important and what is, in reality, just small stuff.

Meditation for Depression

Meditation can be used in conjunction with cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and help those undergoing CBT focus on understanding irrational thoughts and cognitive distortions. Through meditation, the practitioner can observe thoughts as they arise, making them more aware of what they are really thinking. One study concluded that mindfulness meditation reduced the likelihood of a relapse in recently depressed patients when compared with those who did not practice meditation.

Meditation for Sleep Difficulty

Stress and anxiety are the main cause of sleep difficulty. When the mind is filled with worry or wound up after a long day, sleep problems can occur. Meditation helps practitioners to “shut their brains off” and induces the relaxation response, making it easier to fall asleep and improving sleep quality.

Meditation for ADD/ADHD

Studies show that regular meditation heightens alertness. Research illustrates that meditation affects the brain wave patterns, increasing production of Alpha, Theta, and high Beta waves. Alpha waves are associated with a sense of calm, focused alertness. This may be helpful for individuals with ADD/ADHD.

Author: Nan Little