Meditation & the Body

Let’s take a look at what happens to the body when we meditate. Firstly our breathing starts to slow down. Slowing the breath provides a positive message to the nervous system, stimulating the Parasympathetic Nervous Response (telling your nervous system that you are safe). When this part of the nervous system is activated, it allows the body to feel safe and the body does not have to work too hard, taking pressure off the physical body. As a result, it slows the heart rate down. Slowing the heart rate has a positive effect on the blood pressure being lowered.

In today’s world there are many stimulations that we receive, work, social events, financial issues, social media, news, radio, friends and family. This all adds to stress on our physical bodies. So, it is important to take time out for yourself, to ground yourself and centre your nervous system and body.

The more you and your body are in a relaxed state, the less you will feel stressed and anxious. You will be less likely to have medical issues if your body is relaxed.

Meditation & the Mind

When we meditate and slow the breathing, heart rate, and lower the blood pressure, it activates that feeling of safety (Parasympathetic Response). As humans, when we feel safe, we can communicate well, our concentration and focus is good. Our memory recall is better. We are able to listen and take in information. Because the concentration and attention is there, we can learn and process information well. All of these positive interactions increase our confidence and mental well-being.

The opposite of that is when we are not relaxed, then our nervous system gets a message that we are not safe (Sympathetic Nervous Response). The body responds automatically by increased breathing rate, increased heart rate and rising blood pressure. When we are in this state, the body is working hard, getting ready for fight or flight response. Upon this response being activated, the body is automatically putting energy and focus into the breathing, heart rate and blood pressure and shuts down or slows down our ability to take in information, to communicate and to function on daily tasks. These daily tasks where focus is needed can be very tiring and exhausting if we are not in a relaxed state.

Meditation & Emotions

Practicing regular meditation allows us to stay in a more relaxed state for longer as the nervous system has more messages of safety than perceived threat. One of the benefits to feeling relaxed more often is the possibility to develop more advanced self awareness. The beauty of developing more self awareness is you are more present and available to your conscious thoughts, decision making and feelings. Once those thought and feelings are identified and understood, we can learn ways to regulate the emotions and to cope with difficult emotions. And we can start to learn the connection between our thoughts and feelings.

Meditation & Self Awareness

A lot of people who I have helped experience meditation for the first time are actually very surprised at what happens as far as their awareness of their body is concerned. One meditation that is good to do is a Body Scan Meditation. It involves paying attention to different parts of the body. So it may start with giving focus and attention to the face: cheeks, chin, jaw, and tongue, making the conscious decision to relax those muscles. You would then focus on the arms, then shoulders, back, front torso, tummy, legs, feet, toes. I ask people to observe what is happening to that part of the body and to give it some attention and then consciously relax the muscles in that area. People would say to me that they never realised the tension that was in their body, they are surprised at how much their bodies were not relaxed.