Meditation: What Is It And Why It Is Good For You And Your Skin

Day to day, there are many things in life that are beyond our control. Whether it is within your home or work life things such as stress or becoming too busy can lead to you feeling like you have lost control. However, it is possible to take responsibility for your own state of mind - and to change it for the better.

Our stress and tiredness often make us unhappy, impatient, and frustrated and it can even affect our health. Meditation allows us to unwind from our daily struggles and challenges and give us more time by making our mind clearer and more focused. Originating from the Buddhist culture, most meditation techniques are now based on Buddhism and it is the most commonly performed art of meditation within the modern world.

Meditation is about relaxation. One of the most common myths about meditation is that you have to concentrate in order to achieve a meditative state. However, meditation is not about concentration, it is actually about de-concentration. It’s not about focusing on one’s thoughts, it is about becoming thoughtless. By engaging with a meditation practice you learn the patterns and habits of your mind. With regular work these focused states of mind can deepen into peaceful and energised ones. Finally, these experiences can lead to a new understanding of life.

As explained before there are many benefits to meditation, so get your cuppa ready (mint tea preferred) and have a read below.

It Improves your happiness and health

With meditation, your physiology undergoes a change and every cell in the body is filled with more energy. This results in joy via an increase in your serotonin levels. In fact, research shows that meditation increases positive emotions and life satisfaction. Meditation also boosts your immune system which in turn can have a positive effect on your skin. Leading a healthy lifestyle can not just be attributed to your diet, it also has to come from within.

Studies have shown that when meditating, brain signalling increases in the left side of the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for positive emotions. Whilst activity in the right-side decreases, which is responsible for negative emotions.

Meditation can be practised by anyone!

Meditation doesn’t have a religion and can be followed and practised by anyone! In a meditative state, you are in a space of vastness, calmness and joy and this is what you emit into the environment. It can bring a true personal transformation, and as you learn more about yourself you’ll naturally start discovering more about the world around you.

It also boosts your social life

Thought meditation was lonesome? Think again! Research shows meditation increases social connection and reduces loneliness.

Not to mention it gives you a GIANT heart

Research shows it boosts social connections, improves your empathy and compassion, generates helpfulness and can even increase resilience.

Just in case you still aren’t convinced (I don’t know how!), mediation also:

Lowers high blood pressure
Reduces stress
Improves concentration
Decreases any tension-related pain such as headaches and muscle pains
Improves the immune system
Allows you to have better clarity
Gives you a calm mind

I really hope you’ve enjoyed this introduction to meditation and will soon see for yourself why this ancient art form is still one of the best ways to take control of your life. A great place to start is this awesome Hadspace app which guides you through the process - you can start by doing just a few minutes a day. They even do the first few sessions for free, com'n you have to give it a go!

Happy meditating!