Whenever the subject of our health and well-being is raised, in most cases the subject being discussed relates to physical health, at least that was the case until recently. With the world being more attuned to the importance of mental health, especially in light of how people had to cope with all that they had to face due to the Covid-19 pandemic, everyone is more aware that the health of our mind is every bit as significant, as the health of our bodies.
There are many ways in which our mental health can be affected, both positively and negatively, and if we were to write fifty books on these subjects, we would still barely be scratching the surface. Instead, we are going to look at one subject, and it is one which you will be pleased to know, seeks to impart positive effects on your mental well-being.
The subject we are referring to is meditation, and it is one that, sadly, far too many people know very little about. For those that do know about mediation, and more importantly, practice it regularly, they will all tell you that meditation is a positive experience and one from which they benefit enormously.
What Is Meditation?
Let us first define what meditation is, at least from a general perspective given that meditation can be practised in many ways. The most basic definition is that meditation is a calming and quieting of the mind. An analogy is comparing a busy road junction at peak times with cars, buses, and trucks all noisily driving through, with what that same junction is like at 3 am with barely one car per hour driving through it.
Substitute all the traffic going through the junction with the thoughts that are going through your mind when it is active and busy. With meditation, your mind is quietened, with your thoughts reduced to a bare minimum as you become more mindful.