Meditation and Soul

Meditation is a broad term that refers to various activities that people engage in to enhance their mental, emotional, and psychological well-being. Meditation, as a practice, allows one to attain peace of mind and soul, as well as a sense of purpose in life. According to Sadhu (2007), meditation has been practiced for over 5000 years. The first meditation records were discovered in ancient India, and they were based on Vedic teachings. Nonetheless, it started around 600-500 BCE in Taoist China and Buddhist India (Novak, 1992). As a result, the purpose of this paper is to explore meditation in-depth to gain a better understanding of what it is, why it is essential, and how it can be used.
Definition of Meditation
Meditation as an activity enables one to have a piece of mind and soul and above all find purpose in life. Meditation according to Sadhu (2007), has been in existence for over 5000 years. The earliest meditation records ever documented originated from ancient India and were based on Vedas teachings. Nonetheless, it began to in Taoist China and Buddhist India at around 600-500 BCE (Novak, 1992). This paper, therefore, discusses meditation with the aim of enhancing an in-depth understanding of what it is, the significance, and its applications.

Definition of Meditation

Meditation as explained and exemplifies by Hudson (2000), refers to the human practice that involves turning attention to a single point of focus. For instance, it could involve focusing on breath, the bodily sensations and maybe words as well as inspiring phrases such as Mantra. The objective is to avoid all sources of possible distracting thoughts, objects and feelings in order to find purpose on the point of focus.

Roots of Meditation

Meditation has a rich history that can be traced to the hunters and gatherers communities which initially discovered meditation while observing fire flames where it altered the status of their subconscious mind. Meditation henceforth evolved over time and man developed it into a structured practice. For instance, Jyotirupananda (2009) notes that the Indian scriptures are known as “Tantras” had information on meditation practices 5000 years ago.

The Actual Practice

Meditation is evident in the practice to achieve mindfulness which assists the humans in fulfilling life desire of a happy life. Mindfulness training through meditation enables an individual to be happy by avoiding certain problems such as stress, anger, and anxiety. Meditation is the path to enlightenment whereby an individual understands the root source of happiness, thus, finds purpose in life and lives quality life.

Yoga is an actual meditation exercise that has been proven to cultivate health and wellbeing in the lives of those who practice as a form of meditation. For instance, the practice incorporates different types of exercise techniques such as body postures, movements, breathing and relaxation as well as concentration on interesting aspects to achieve individual wellbeing that is observable emotionally, mentally and physically.

Benefits and Why It Should Be Included In Our Daily Life

Research findings have established that meditation has many benefits and should be included in individuals’ daily lives because it boosts health by increasing the immune function and decreases pain that can be caused by inflammations. It enhances individual happiness by increasing positive emotions, decreasing feelings of depression, reduces anxiety and stress. Moreover, it boosts one's social life in terms of increasing social connections and finally enables one to develop self-control (Jyotirupananda, 2009).

Real life examples of meditation as observed in the lives of Buddhists is the fact that they believe in self-liberation hence hard work is the only thing they concentrate on to acquit themselves of poverty. On the other hand, swimmers who meditate by practicing on how to control and hold their breath are able to swim longer distances compared to those who have no control over their breath.

Conclusion

Concisely, it is worth practicing meditation in order to enjoy the many advantages that come with it as aforementioned above. Therefore, I would want to change for the better part of my life, find purpose in my life, and live a quality life that is full of happiness and wellbeing.

References

Hudson, J. (2000). Meditation: A practical guide to achieving harmony. London: Southwater.

Jyotirupananda, D. (2009). Meditation: Searching for the real you. Winchester, UK: O Books.

Novak, J. (1992). How to meditate: A step-by-step guide to the art and science of meditation. Nevada City, Calif: Crystal Clarity Publishers.

Sadhu, M. (2007). Meditation: An outline for practical study. Great Britain: Aeon Books.