Meditation is defined as thinking deeply and focusing one's mind on something. For me meditation is a practice of focusing my mind on God. I have made it a practice to meditate daily. Often times multiple times throughout the day. It may be for 2 minutes or 20 minutes. In scripture the greek word for meditation is Phroneo -to direct one's mind to a thing. It is where we get the word for Phrenic nerve. This nerve controls our breathing and is why breathing is so tightly linked with meditation. It is used in a number of places but my two favorite are:
Phil 2:5...have the same mindset as Christ.
Col 3:2 Set your mind on things above.
There are many scientifically proven health benefits to a regular practice of meditation. I have listed a few below with links to studies that prove their benefits.
Benefits:
1.Stress Reduction
Goyal M, Singh S, Sibinga EM, et al. Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Intern Med. 2014;174(3):357-368. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.13018
2.Reduced Anxiety
3.Long Term Decrease in Depression
4.Increased Compassion
Galante J, Galante I, Bekkers MJ, Gallacher J. Effect of kindness-based meditation on health and well-being: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2014;82(6):1101-1114. doi:10.1037/a0037249
5.Improved Sleep
Martires J, Zeidler M. The value of mindfulness meditation in the treatment of insomnia. Curr Opin Pulm Med. 2015;21(6):547-552. doi:10.1097/MCP.0000000000000207
6.Helps Control Pain
Goyal M, Singh S, Sibinga EM, et al. Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Intern Med. 2014;174(3):357-368. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.13018
7.Reduced Blood Pressure
Koike MK, Cardoso R. Meditation can produce beneficial effects to prevent cardiovascular disease. Horm Mol Biol Clin Investig. 2014;18(3):137-143. doi:10.1515/hmbci-2013-0056
Here are a few more:
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