Benefits of Meditation

While you're meditating you can experience...

• Relaxation... One of the benefits of meditation is stopping the - what seems like - endless mind chatter. The tension caused by all that thinking decreases and our whole being is able to relax.
• Deep states of relaxation... You can experience deep states of relaxation - similar to right before you fall asleep - and yet you are still awake.
• Connection with the Divine... As your mind expands, and your body awakens, you can experience non-ordinary states of consciousness and a direct experience of the Divine.
• Expanded Mind... You can experience unboundaried states of consciousness that open you up to a images, ideas, and sensations that most of us don't access in our ordinary day-to-day.
• The present moment... even though all of the above benefits of meditation are really wonderful... and some of them are totally cool... my favorite is truly fully experiencing the present moment.

If you want more information, this article contains lists of physiological and psychological benefits of meditation. If you decide to practice for years, expect great benefits - meditation for years can truly transform you.

Long-term Benefits of Meditation

The following are two different articles about a study comparing the effects of meditation on the brain of long-term meditators to short-term meditators.

This one talks about how compassion and responsiveness in the long-term meditators had developed.

This article discusses the impact on focus and the how the long-term meditators could stay focused even when loud sounds were made.

If you're new to meditation, I highly encourage you to consider a diaphragmatic breathing practice for a couple of reasons...

First, the instructions (which you can listen to on my diaphragmatic breathing page ) give you three EASY things to focus on.

You can focus on - the movement of your body, the breath filling up the lungs, and counting. Between all three most beginner meditators can stay focused with the practice easier than just sitting and watching the breath.

And the benefits are GREAT - diaphragmatic breathing activates the relaxation response. If you want to relax, it can't get much better than that!