Disclaimer: The word meditation in this post is utilized in broad terms, it means something else to each one of us spiritually and assumes different forms on the basis of your spiritual discipline.
The goal in meditation is to come close to a point where you are simply sitting or engaged in an activity which becomes your meditative state. Your senses become heightened as you stroll in the park, a garden, while cleaning, chopping wood, etcetera. Your mind becomes pointed, absorbed, engaged and consumed.
Not everyone feels their morning should take off like a space shuttle. Some of you enjoy coasting into your day. The very best time for me is after I pick myself up out of bed and workout. My mind is clear and open to reading, contemplation and creativity. During this time I have fewer distractions.
In a few minutes you should have a clearer sense of what meditation is, why you should participate, and will read a testimony on how productive meditation can be.
Q. What is meditation?
A. Meditation happens in those rare moments. A consistent flow of focused, mental energy.
Q. What do you feel during meditation?
A. At such moments you feel peaceful and happy. Meditation is simply being in the here and now, aware and mindful. You are sitting back and witnessing your own internal thoughts and processes. Your body is relaxed and your mind is at ease.
Q. What does meditation look like?
A. Mediation assumes many forms, but what it really boils down to frankly, is being present in the moment. Some examples are:
- Yoga
- Prayer
- Morning Reading
- Chiropractic
- Acupunture
- Therapeutic touch
- Mindfulness
- Marital arts
- Vibrations
- Music
- Watching a sunset, rainbow, snow falling in the forest
- Many more things than I can not list here
I hope you get the idea.
Q. What does meditation have to do with focus and productivity?
A. We are challenged to sustain our concentration. Americans are lost in thought about 47% of the time and half of that time is consumed with unhappy thoughts.
Some studies suggest daily spiritual discipline has a positive impact on attention, memory, reasoning, trouble shooting and comprehension. Meditation requires concentration which thickens the prefrontal and anterior cingulated cortex where these brain functions are controlled. This thickening of gray matter in the brain helps with flexibility and visual processing speeds.
Meditation is confirmed to:
- Increase energy and efficiency
- Resist disease
- Reduce blood pressure, nervousness, anxiety, depression, inadequacy
- Help maintain weight control
- Improves self-worth, creativity, productivity, ability to love and express love
- Most importantly, strengthens your spiritual affiliations or relationships
Harvard, Yale and MIT found you can restructure the brain and on account of advances in technology they learned meditation helps increase attention span, sharpens focus, and improves memory. Meditation is a natural drug for your mind and prevents stress from increasing. Feedback asserts that gearing down helps you become more effective and resilient.
Q. Who is doing this and what are the results?
A. Places like Harvard, Ross School of Business, and Drucker School of Management are now teaching students meditation techniques. Even Deutsche Bank, Google, Hughes Aircraft, General Mills, and Aetna Insurance offer classes for their employees. What arose from offering these classes in mediation is that recipients are sharper, more productive, experience less stress-related-illness and reduced absenteeism.
“Buck” Montgomery in 1983 at his chemical factory instituted regular meditation sessions and within 3 years absenteeism fell 85% and productivity rose 120%. Sickness dropped 16% and profits soared 520%. Buck stated, “People enjoyed their work: they were more creative and more productive.”
Achieving harmony requires you to resolve to change. To change you must practice and maintain a positive attitude. Achieving harmony requires strong focus. If you don’t like who you are, where you are, or what you do, chances are that you won’t like any other thing in life.
Great reminder here on just how important meditation is, Kirby. it’s how I start off my day and it brings peace, even in the midst of stressful times.
I find that its a pivotal part of my day. Even just a couple minutes periodically during the day can make a major difference.