Meditation is a method of acquiring access to our inner wisdom, achieving clarity, and developing compassion, with the possibility of resolving inner challenges during the process. Wisdom includes being present in the moment, and the way to wisdom is to understand ourselves as human beings.
Fortney and Bonus (2012) called meditation “one of the most important components of any health plan. Its unique ability to elicit physical ease and mental stability provides a foundation for healing and directly influences one’s ability to meet the challenges resulting from illness and chronic disease” (p. 1051). When practiced in a disciplined manner, meditation provides many physiological, psychological, and health benefits. Evidence of meditation’s health effects has been well documented. The practice offers improvement in the symptoms of various disease conditions in addition to the experience of a deeper spiritual connection (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health [NCCIH], 2017).
In meditation, individuals learn to focus their attention and quiet their minds. This usually involves becoming mindful of thoughts, feelings, and sensations while observing them in a nonjudgmental manner. The practice of meditation can change how individuals relate to the flow of their emotions and thoughts. As their minds become tranquil, many aspects of their lives become clear.
Our attitude during meditation is important because it reflects the way we deal with our minds, emotions, thoughts, and changing moods. The most beneficial attitudes for meditation are acceptance, gratitude, and openness to the wisdom we may receive during the process.
All types of meditation involve the basic practice of sitting or lying quietly and focusing on a sound, image, or thought (Horstman, 2012). Meditation may be practiced in many ways, including, but not limited to, deep breathing, focusing on different parts of the body, walking meditation, mindfulness meditation, and Transcendental Meditation®.
Practicing meditation once or twice a day for 30 minutes can produce measurable metabolic effects that are exactly the opposite of the body’s fight or flight response. In their study on the effects of meditation on stress, Mohan, Sharma, and Bijlani (2011) demonstrated that meditation produced a relaxation response in both adults who had practiced meditation regularly as well as in those who had never practiced meditation.
Meditation acts directly on brain chemistry, anatomy, and physiology, changing the function and physical structure of the brain. During the meditative experience, neurotransmitters and endorphins are released, neurogenesis occurs, oxygen concentrations throughout the body are increased, and blood vessel development is enhanced. All of these improve brain health, especially cognitive function, and reduce the risk of many types of chronic diseases (Horstman, 2012).
Research during the past three decades has demonstrated such significant health benefits of meditation that the practice became the first mind-body intervention adopted by allopathic health care providers and incorporated into numerous evidence-based therapy programs (Dakwar & Levin, 2009). Today, meditative practices are used in a variety of health care settings by every type of patient as well as by healthcare providers themselves.