Page 25 - Kallima spiritual Centre - Newsletter - September-October 2020

What is meditation?
• Meditation is both a skill and an experience
• A formal exercise to cultivate awareness and
compassion. By sitting with the mind, we’re training it to be more open and at ease, and we consequently discover greater calm, clarity, contentment and compassion. In doing so, we increasingly learn to have a direct experience of the present moment.
• Meditation is not about ‘emptying the mind’, ‘clearing the mind’, or ‘stopping thoughts’. The mind’s nature is to think. We meditate to see those thoughts more clearly.
• Meditation is not about becoming a different person, a new person or a better person.
• Meditation is not the same as concentration. It is not the active engagement of the mind on a specific topic.
• Meditation does not guarantee relaxation, serenity or bliss. Relaxation can certainly be a side effect of it, but meditation involves a range of feelings, not simply the nicer ones.
• Meditation is not ‘checking out’ or escaping our problems or duties.
• Meditation is not necessarily spiritual or religious. It shares a very long history with religion and offers an important spiritual component for many practitioners. But anyone can meditate, regardless of creed.
• Best of all, meditation has NO negative side effects. Bottom line, there is nothing but positive to be gained from it!
Why learn to meditate?
Life is sometimes difficult. While we can’t control what happens, we do have the potential to transform the way in which we relate to those things.
Life is also busier than ever, leaving us overloaded with information and digital chatter 24/7. It’s no wonder more and more people are looking to find peace of mind.
The more we can stay in the present - not bogged down in thoughts or reactivity - the more we are able to take life in stride. Whether we’re feeling challenged by circumstances or frazzled by technology, meditation can provide a reset for the mind through a path of learning in awareness and compassion.
Awareness allows us to better understand how and why we think and feel the way we do, often resulting in a healthier perspective on life.
Compassion allows us to be not only kinder to
ourselves but to others, leading to healthier relationships with partners, family and friends.
For some, the benefits of meditation can be profound and life-changing; still, it’s important to remember that meditation feels different for every person who practices it (and can be different each session). It has the potential to improve the psychological, emotional and physical quality of life for those who regularly meditate.
People who incorporate meditation into their lives often report improved levels of happiness, patience, acceptance and even compassion after meditating, lower levels of stress, frustration, depression and even pain. People who have difficulty sleeping say they experience better sleep. People with anxiety disorders report a reduction in this. Other people describe having better personal relationships incorporating meditation into their routines.
These aren’t just anecdotes; there is a large body of scientific research that supports the effectiveness of meditation. Mindfullness type mediations have been thoroughly embraced many years ago by the medical community and approved for use by the U.K. National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE), and is now studied by neuroscientists all over the world.
The many benefits of meditation
When we sit to meditate, we are looking after ourselves in ways that might not at first seem obvious. The benefits of meditation are numerous and varied, and supported by science.
Many people start meditating to manage stress, reduce anxiety and to cultivate peace of mind. But there are thousands of studies documenting other less known mindfulness meditation benefits, which can have a positive impact on mental, physical, and emotional health.
Mental health benefits of meditation
Most people are likely familiar with the positive side effects of meditation associated with mental health: increased awareness, clarity, compassion and a sense of calm. Improved focus is another benefit commonly associated with meditation. In fact, one study showed that a single session cuts mind wandering by up to 22%.
But there are even more ways meditation can benefit the mind. In a study researchers from John Hopkins University found meditation programs helped ease psychological symptoms of depression, nxiety and pain related to stress.
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