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What’s stopping you from practicing meditation

Misconceptions related to meditation has prevented many people from trying this powerful technique to manage stress. I too had prejudiced views about the practice and its effects, until I learnt about the science behind it and started to experience the benefits myself. 

One of the popular mediation technique involves focusing one’s attention on an object, a phrase, breath, sound or an image in your mind.  

Scientific research has revealed the powerful impact of meditation on our brain. Research has shown that with eight-week of continuous meditation practice, there is an apparent shrinkage in Amygdala- the part of the brain responsible for fear reaction which could correlate to better regulation of stress response, because a larger amygdala has been linked to higher levels of stress and anxiety.

According to study done by Sara Lazar, Harvard Neuroscientist, one of the first researchers to discover the brain benefits of meditation, meditators had a thicker Cortex- a region of the brain essential for executive functions like planning & decision making compared to non-meditators.  There was also an increase in gray matter volume in the Hippocampus- an area involved in learning and memory.

Well, if mediation is so powerful, why is it that many of us still avoid trying this powerful technique? It’s time we clear are minds from such misconceptions. 

Some of the most common misconceptions are-

Mediation involves sitting for long time: False

Mediation can be both a. active b. sitting. A daily 5 mins of practice is good than not doing at all. Pausing in between activities help in rewiring the brain. Any time spent on mediation will help in better functioning of the brain.

Mediation is religious practice: False

Meditation has been practiced form thousands of years and it appears in all major religions. Yet we cannot label it as a religious practice only. For some it can be a part of spiritual practice but for most people its stand alone.

Mediation requires sitting cross-legged on the floor: False

Mediation can be done in any comfortable position, be it on a chair, lying down on bed or sitting on floor. 

I have never tried meditation, so I can never do it: False

Anybody can try meditation, there is no right or wrong. You may feel distracted in your initial practices, but noticing that you are getting distracted is actually becoming aware of your mind. As you become more regular with practice, you will experience the benefits and that itself will encourage you to be more consistent.

*excerpts from Harvard health publishing

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