Why Meditate?
Meditation provides a unique form of rest that is even more profound than that achieved during sleep, and this deep rest produces multiple beneficial physiological changes.
Regular experience of this profound rest will eventually eliminate the effects of stress and help to make the meditator stress-proof. The resulting benefits for both mental and physical health appear gradually and are cumulative.
There are now more than 600 scientific studies on transcendental meditation (TM) - the most extensively researched form of meditation - conducted at 240 universities and hospitals in over 24 countries. More than 120, all with extremely positive results, have been published in leading scientific journals.
The research has shown that meditation benefits angina, coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, ME/CFS, asthma, chronic bronchitis, skin conditions, ADHD, migraine, tension headaches, phobias, insomnia, nervous tension, anxiety, depression, excessive smoking and excessive drinking.
When the medical insurance claims of a group of 2,000 people who practise TM were analysed for a five-year period and compared with the claims of non-meditators, researchers found that those practising TM had: 44% fewer visits to doctors; 53% fewer admissions to hospital; 70% fewer days in hospital; 30% lower incidence of infectious
diseases; 55% lower incidence of tumours of all kinds; 87% lower incidence of heart disease; and 87% lower incidence of diseases of the nervous system.
Meditation methods
There is a bewildering array of forms and methods of meditation on offer today but, at the heart of them all, lies a very simple, natural and effortless mental technique.
It is this core technique, rather than any of the extra features that are often added to it, that is responsible for the many remarkable benefits
reported by meditators and researchers.
The technique achieves its effects by gently centering the focus of the mind on something that has few, if any, associations - a simple object or image, one's own breath, or, as in the method explained below (which is essentially the same as that taught in TM), a sound repeated silently to oneself.
The Technique
1. Choose a focus sound or combination of sounds that appeal to you but do not have any specific meaning for you.
The sounds in the following list have all been found to be pleasant and soothing to most people. Repeat each one to yourself several times, then choose whichever you like best.
mah-yam
sat-yam
at-man
ah-nam
ra-mah
na-mah
na-mo
ma-nah
hah-sam
tah-sam
see-tah-ram
shahm
rah-yim
shi-rim
shan-ti
shee-vo-hum
vis-tah
vy-ah
ny-ah
na-ry-ah
Alternatively, you can create your own special sound - perhaps by combining elements from some of those listed above, or by making one up.
If selecting your own original sound, bear in mind that it is not advisable to choose a person's name, or other word that has a specific meaning or association, or one that is likely to cause thoughts or stir up emotions. It is preferable to choose something which has a sound that appeals to you.
2. Select a quiet environment.
At least in the initial stages of learning to meditate, it is very important to ensure that you will be alone and undisturbed by noise or interruptions. Turn off phones and persuade those you live with to leave you quietly alone for up to 20 minutes.
3. Sit comfortably.
No special postures are required so feel free to stretch, yawn or scratch, if these help.
4. Close your eyes and breathe naturally.
5. Repeat your chosen sound silently to yourself.
Listen to the sound as it drifts into your mind and let it produce a feeling of tranquillity. Experiment with the sound, if you wish. Play with it, enjoy its rhythm and allow it to change in any way that feels natural - perhaps becoming stretched out, speeded up or slowed down.
In time, your chosen sound will come to have special significance for you and be a welcome signal to turn inward towards a more peaceful state.
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