Benefits of Meditation - A Panacea for Present Day's Problems and Illnesses?

If you think meditation is only for spiritual growth, you are not aware of the amazing physical and mental benefits that accompany this wonderful technique. Here are some of the great benefits of meditation:

1) Healing of mind and body. It is said that disease is first created in the mind through thoughts. Then it affects the body. Regular practice of meditation reduces thoughts and worries and brings about healing of the body.

2) Accelerated healing through deep sleep. You may not be aware but out of 6-8 hours of sleep, our mind is at complete rest only for a fraction of time. It is during this period that we experience deepest sleep and healing. Regular meditation calms down mental activity increasing this period of deep rest during sleep, facilitating faster healing. Our mind may be compared to a flywheel. The faster it moves, the more time it takes to come to rest.

In one of the techniques of meditation called Yoga Nidra or Yogic Sleep, deepest relaxation takes place, giving you far more benefits than regular sleep.

3) Overcoming addiction and craving. Cravings and addictions are a direct consequence of an unaware mind. When you are fully aware, unhealthy desires drop automatically like dry leaves from a tree. Take an example of over-eating, which most of us are prone too. Now, for a day, resolve to eat mindfully, chewing each morsel thoroughly, being aware of its taste/texture, without any hurry at all. You'll be surprised to find yourself satisfied (not full) way before finishing what you would normally eat, without any heavy feeling or so.

4) Improved efficiency and productivity. When the mind is clear and uncluttered, you are more likely to take better decisions and complete tasks faster.

5) Improved relationships. Most problems in relationships are due to lack of understanding, love and ego. One of the prerequisites to meditation is dropping of the ego. You cannot meditate with ego. Once ego loses control you, love starts flourishing and so do relationships.

6) Abundance of energy. A lot of energy is dissipated through our mind by means of unnecessary thoughts and worries. When mind calms down through meditation, this additional energy is available at our disposal for constructive and spiritual activities.

7) More fulfilling life. Most of us are like robots, blindly following what's been programmed into our system, through the teachings in our home, school and society. Meditation helps our consciousness to flourish, helping us realize our true potential and purpose. Following the path of consciousness brings us immense peace and joy, which is our true nature.

With such an impressive list of benefits, I think meditation can indeed be considered as panacea for present day's problems and illnesses.