Judy asked if I meditate every day and the answer is YES!
Without a doubt! I spend anywhere from ½ hour to 2 hours; doing a formal sitting or walking practice.
Let me tell you why:
1. Meditation Restores Memory: Long-term Meditators have better-preserved brains than non-Meditators as they aged. Participants who Meditate regularly; average of 20 years, have more grey matter volume throughout the brain.
2. Meditation decreases activity in the brain, it keeps the mind from wandering and self-referential thoughts –The “monkey mind.” When we’re not thinking about anything in particular and our minds are just wandering from thought to thought. A wandering mind is associated with unhappiness, ruminating and worrying. Meditation calms down and quiets the mind.
3. Meditation reduces the symptoms of depression, anxiety and pain.
4. Meditation increase awareness.
5. Meditation increases cortical thickness in the hippocampus, which governs learning and memory.
6. Meditation helps your cognitive skills.
7. Meditation Reduces Anxiety.
8. Meditation affects the self-control regions of the brain. I could go on about all the benefits of meditation!
Some people think it’s dangerous and can bring feelings of Ennui, Emptiness and even Fear. Most likely those who have experienced those emotions have not been instructed properly, or have been scared by people or establishments that want to control then. The dogmas of organizations are far more dangerous and limiting for you and your family’s Spiritual Growth.
It is said by non-believers that meditation can bring changes in your sense of self and cause impairment in social relationships.
This is another myth that can control you; and keep you stuck in the same place for your entire life. Yes you can change doing meditation and even be more aware of things and it can even spur positive growth, but this may intimidate your family and friends who may be limited in their beliefs. Your growth can intimidate them. If you change it will effect them and people don’t like change…
I have had patients who were suffering from arthritis and belonged to support groups, they met every week and became good friends. I was seeing some of them on a regular basis, for around 6 months; and all their symptoms disappeared. They were so happy that they shared it with the group, and instead of the group being happy for them; they felt that they lost what they had in common! Can you believe that? Within 3 weeks the patients, not wanting to be ostracized, brought on back his symptoms!
I practice many different forms of Meditations; but mostly from a Buddhist and Taoist Tradition.
1. To obtain a clear and unshakable conclusion about the way in which things exist.
2. To focus my mind and achieve single-pointedly on a mental object until the mind can rest effortlessly on that object for hours or even days at a time.
Why make all this effort? We all want to be happy and none of us wants to suffer or experience any kind of problem. We rarely find the happiness we desire and when we do, it doesn’t last and usually isn’t as good as we’d hope it would be.
By meditating on a regular basis and keeping the practice going day in and day out, done with the motivation of experiencing happiness in a future life, actions done with detachment from this life are positive. The imprints they leave ripen into happiness.
Wishing you Health, Wealth and Happiness!
Dr. Wu Dhi
PS: Every Full Moon and New Moon I offer a Meditation Class via Zoom! Let me know if you want to join in; and I’ll send you an invite. Send me your email address and I’ll get you on the list.
Sherwood (Woody) Swartz AP, MMQ
