You've probably heard that meditation can help you feel calmer and less stressed. However, stress reduction is not actually the only goal of this ancient practice. If you’ve been curious to discover more about the goal of meditation and how it can benefit you, keep reading to learn more about how to incorporate different types of meditation into your life and the vast benefits of establishing a meditation practice.
In this article, we’ll also explore the various meditation styles, and how the objective of meditation differs from type to type plus how to meditate step-by-step.
If you want to understand how meditation can help you achieve more focus, alertness, clarity, joy, creativity, peace, calm, and balance, grab your tea and join us in exploring the point of meditation!
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What is the goal of meditation?
To put it simply, the goal of meditation is to gain control over your mind so that you can maintain your attention on the present moment without getting distracted by every little thing. In doing so, you can reduce the number of unwanted thoughts.
You may also have heard that meditation's purpose is to unite the body and mind or that its primary purpose is to see your thoughts or help you achieve moksha, or liberation.
While that is true, meditation can also help you realize the nature of your true self, which is known as atman, according to Hindu teachings.
Meditation also helps cultivate more mindfulness and mental stillness. Mindfulness and mental stillness can be achieved by directing your focus on one thing, such as your body, the breath, or a mantra.
When you’re able to master your mind in this way, you experience a deeper sense of peace and greater ease.
10 benefits of having a daily meditation practice
In recent years, many scientific studies have been done on the benefits of meditation, and a huge percentage of the human population has tried to incorporate meditation into their daily lives – maybe even you! Here are ten benefits of meditation you should know:
- Helps you connect to the present moment
- Increases self-awareness
- Improves emotional stability
- Reduces stress & anxiety & increases compassion
- Promotes happiness, positivity & empathy
- Rebalances the nervous system
- Strengthens the immune system
- Improves sleep quality
- Lowers blood pressure
- Reduces chronic pain
1. Helps you connect to the present moment
Mindful practices like meditation help us connect to the present moment, which is why we feel a sense of inner peace after we have sat down to meditate. With long-term mindfulness practice, you can train your mind to stay focused on the present rather than letting it wander to worries of tomorrow or regrets of yesterday.
Many of us lead hectic lifestyles where we are always busy going from one thing to the next. Mentally, we are always thinking about the future or the past. A meditation practice can help you live in the present moment.
2. Increases self-awareness
A long-term and regular meditation practice increases self-awareness by creating more clarity in our minds. With lower mental activity, we see our thoughts for what they really are, destructive inner commentary that is often not true.
Similarly, meditation increases awareness of our unconscious brain activity. The unconscious mind stores all our memories and experiences that we do not consciously think about but form our limiting beliefs, habits, and desires. Thus, accessing the subconscious mind allows us to discover new parts of ourselves.
3. Improves emotional stability
Mindfulness meditation teaches you to see feelings like clouds in the sky; you notice them and simply let them pass without trying to push them away. As we become more present, we notice our thoughts and emotions and learn how to let them go.
The act of allowing emotions to come and go removes the energetic charge of that feeling. This can reduce the number of negative emotions, improving emotional stability and regulation.
4. Reduces stress & anxiety & increases compassion
Meditation changes our perception of stress. This means fewer things may cause you to stress out, and help you to handle stressors more effectively. Better stress management – yes please!
A Yale University study found that meditation decreases activity in the default mode network (DMN). This is the area of the brain responsible for excessive and repetitive thoughts.
An overactive DMN can result in anxiety as it triggers the mind to create worrisome thoughts about future events. Meditation decreases activity in the DMN and, thus, reduces anxious thoughts.
5. Promotes happiness, positivity & empathy
Positive thinking and feelings of happiness are natural results of meditation's stress- and anxiety-reduction qualities. A therapist might prescribe meditation to help with accepting and letting go of negative thoughts and emotions to create space for more positive ones.
Research has found that daily meditation can lower the levels of neuroticism. This broad personality trait is responsible for a host of negative feelings like anxiety, sadness, irritability, and self-consciousness.
6. Rebalances the nervous system
Meditation triggers the relaxation response of the parasympathetic nervous system. This induces various anti-oxidation and anti-inflammatory changes in the body, which can reduce symptoms of several medical conditions.
7. Strengthens the immune system
Research has found that meditation boosts the activity of the genes that regulate the immune response.
8. Improves sleep quality
Along with the calming effect on the nervous system, meditation improves sleep by increasing melatonin.
9. Lowers blood pressure
Studies have shown that meditation may increase nitric oxide levels, which widens blood vessels to allow better blood flow.
10. Reduces chronic pain
Meditation promotes neuroplasticity, so, over time, the practice can change your brain structure to make you less sensitive to pain.
3 types of meditation that are commonly practiced
While there are over a dozen styles of meditation, here are the three most common types:
1. Mindfulness meditation
Mindfulness meditation is one of the most popular styles practiced in the Western world. The goal of mindfulness meditation is to increase your awareness of what you are sensing and feeling in the present moment.
However, the key is to observe the thoughts and feelings only rather than try to understand them or judge yourself. While meditation and mindfulness are not the same, they are similar.
2. Breath awareness meditation
Breath awareness is similar to mindfulness meditation, but rather than focusing on all bodily sensations, you focus purely on your breath. Also known as vipassana meditation, this technique has been taught in India for over 2500 years. You typically focus on the rise and fall of the belly or the air entering and leaving your nose when practicing vipassana.
3. Mantra meditation
In mantra meditation, you focus on a particular word or phrase. This could be a Sanskrit mantra or any word that has meaning for you. The mantra serves as your focal point, and you can either repeat it silently in your head or chant it out loud. Repeating a word or phrase effectively quiets the mind and cultivates a deeper connection with yourself.
How to meditate in 6 steps
Now that you better understand the goal of meditation, why not put it into practice? Here are some basic guidelines for meditating for the first time:
- Find a calm and quiet environment
- Come into a comfortable seat
- Close your eyes
- Bring your awareness to your breathing
- Start to breathe normally with conscious awareness
- Don't worry if your mind keeps wandering
1. Find a calm and quiet environment
You might find it helpful to set the mood for your meditation session by playing some relaxation music or lighting candles or incense.
2. Come into a comfortable seat
The traditional meditation position is sitting cross-legged, but I recommend sitting on a cushion or pillow to elevate the hips and relieve tension. If cross-legged doesn't work for you, simply extend your legs and sit with your back against the wall.
3. Close your eyes
Close your eyes and become aware of your body. Notice any sensations you may feel. If you observe any tension, consciously soften and relax those body parts.
4. Bring your awareness to your breathing
Take three deep and full breaths, inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth to start your meditation session.
5. Start to breathe normally with conscious awareness
Bring conscious awareness to each part of the breath; the inhale, the exhale, and the space between.
6. Don't worry if your mind keeps wandering
It's very common for the mind to wander, and that's ok. Observe your thoughts coming and going. Whenever you notice a thought, remind yourself to return to your breath and continue focusing on each inhale and exhale.
2 bonus meditation tips
- I recommend setting a timer when you're new to meditating. First, set the timer to five minutes, gradually increasing the duration as you get more comfortable with the practice. These are easy ways to help you make meditation a habit.
- For beginners, try a guided meditation. Many free guided meditations are available on YouTube and apps like Insight Timer and Headspace.
Takeaway on what is the goal of meditation
People practice meditation for different reasons, from reducing stress to learning how to maintain balance in life. So when thinking about what is the goal of meditation, not only does it differ between traditions, but it also depends on your personal needs.
Still, remember that meditation is not about freeing your mind from all thoughts but instead quieting the mental chatter a bit. With each meditation session, you’ll regain control of your mind and experience improved health and well-being.
Om shanti shanti and happy meditating.
FAQ about meditation
What is the basic rule of meditation?
Focus your attention on the breath and on how the body moves with each inhalation and exhalation. Allow thoughts to come and go without feeling anxious about that process. Notice how your body moves as you breathe.
How long should you meditate?
A novice may begin by meditating for just 5 minutes each day. More advanced meditators may meditate 40-50 minutes each day in two sessions. Meditation is a practice that you will need to ease into, but there really are no “shoulds” in meditate.
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