Health and Meditation

With modernization, various forms of alternative treatment have come into existence; you will be surprised to know that even doctors from the conventional school of Medical science recommend their patients alternative therapies which include Ayurveda, Yoga and meditation. All these therapies have been backed by hundreds of scientific studies going back to decades.

Meditation – the way to better life style’ these advertisements are splashed today all across the newspapers, journals, magazines and even television. You will find ‘gurus’ offering meditation courses and classes to combat all kinds of diseases and ailments. So what is meditation? Some wonder drug that has the ability to heal all disorders! No, it isn’t. As mentioned, meditation goes back to a long time in history and has very effective healing powers. However, it is not a kind of faith where curing or healing is based on hypnotic suggestions. If you are suffering from some problems, meditation can help you in some measurable ways; if you are not sick, meditation will help you to stay fit and healthy. It works in two main ways: it helps the body to relax quickly and settles the stressed mind.

Meditation is effective because it helps restore the body to a state of balance. This condition is technically termed as “homeostasis”- a situation when all the functions inside the body are at peace or rest or operating within sustainable limits; things like the heart functioning normally, the blood sugar level does not go beyond the ideal range, the gastric juice levels are proper, the breathing rates are normal and so on. It is not that our body cannot function if things are not in order – for example when we are running a race or over exercising or gorging on a meal. In such conditions, the body continues to operate without making us going through a process of major suffering. Nevertheless, if such situations happen frequently, it gradually starts giving up. This is when pathologies start occurring. Sickness thus can be defined as a state of imbalance in one or multiple systems of the body.

Our body is always battling to return to the state of homeostasis. Our body functions the best when all its organs are in a state of harmony and peace and this is also the optimum state for self-repair and growth. By relaxing and de stressing ourselves, we help the body to heal by itself.

Some health conditions that can experience remarkable experience through meditation
Heart related problems – Meditation is a key component of the Ornish therapy, the only treatment that is scientifically proven to reverse heart disease.

High blood pressure – It has been scientifically proven that the ‘relaxation response’ in meditation is very effective in reducing blood pressure and thus decreasing the chances of stroke and heart attack.

Respiratory problems –Respiratory problems like asthma, emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD can be cured to a significant extent by practicing meditation.

Skin disorders like psoriasis – Psoriasis is a condition that causes scaly red patches or blotches on the skin. You will be surprised to know that when a study was conducted between two groups – one which was going through the regular psoriasis treatment and the other that was practicing meditation along with the treatment, the skin condition of the latter healed much faster than the others.

Besides all these, meditation also treats stress and strain, fatigue, drug addiction, stomach upset, insomnia or sleeplessness, any kinds of pain, anxiety and phobias.