Meditation is a type of mind-body medicine. People have meditated for thousands of years. Those who meditate train themselves to focus on one thing, such as their breath. When the mind wanders, the practice of meditation trains the mind to return to the focus.
There are many forms of meditation. But most meditation forms involve:
Meditation may offer many benefits. Meditation might help you:
Research has found that meditation may help lower symptoms of anxiety, stress and depression. When used with conventional medicine, meditation may improve health. For instance, some research suggests that meditation might help manage symptoms of:
Experts believe meditation has few risks. But there haven't been many studies on what harm meditation can cause. For some people, meditation might cause anxiety or depression. More study is needed.
Many forms of meditation exist. If you're just starting, focusing on the breath is a simple way to start meditating. Follow these steps:
Meditation takes practice. Even if you've been meditating for years, your mind might wander. Don't judge. Accept what happens during meditation and keep going back to your focus.
If you need help, you might try taking a class with a trained teacher. Or try one of the many videos you can watch online or a meditation app you can download from app stores.
Meditation releases tension from the body. You might feel calmer after each session. Over time, you might find yourself feeling less stressed and more relaxed overall. You might find yourself better able to handle life's events.
