Meditation helps reduce stress

Pretty girl Amy Smart says, "Meditation helps me greatly. It starts me off on my day trusting the world, rather than thinking someone is out to get me. I recommend it to anyone."

Meditation is an exercise for the mind. By concentrating on a single point of reference, and shutting out distractions and normal thinking, meditation helps to reduce stress and generates a sense of calm and well-being. While some people meditate early in the day, like Amy Smart, others prefer to wind down and empty their minds of the day's worries when they're back home. And some find time in the middle of the day for meditation.

When the brain is under stress, it alerts the body by increasing heart rate and breathing, and tensing the muscles. Some people use cigarettes, alcohol, drugs or medicines to calm the body; but these substances have terrible side-effects and don't calm the mind where the real problem lies. Meditation tackles this real problem, and the result is immediately felt in the body, with a lowered heart rate and relaxed muscles.

Meditation is an important part of the ancient Indian health system of Yoga, but even without the breathing techniques, asanas, and stretching of Yoga, meditation is useful and easy to do. The basic principles of meditation require the person to be physically still, either lying down or sitting, in a place where there are no outside distractions. The mind is then focused till other thoughts and distractions are emptied from it. This induces a sense of calm and relaxation in the body.

However most people who meditate find it difficult to stay focused, or keep the mind free of any thoughts, for more than a few minutes. Therefore when the mind starts to wander you simply start all over again.



By reducing stress, meditation also helps in tackling stress-related diseases like high blood pressure and cholesterol. It is supposed to generally improve the body's immune system. Meditation is also known to improve memory and concentration, and helps you to sleep better, which makes it essential for students. But how much meditation is enough? If you're taking up meditation to fight stress, and for other health reasons, then 10-30 minutes a day is sufficient.

Jason Walsh, a fitness trainer to celebrity clients such as NFL star Jason Tayor and beautiful Jessica Biel, says that meditation is something you tend to grow into. Among the mistakes made by those taking up meditation Jason says, "The public goes wrong by forcing themselves to do too much too soon."