Many of us may have been attracted to meditation because it promised a great sensation of calm. And it's understandable: we live in a fast-paced, stressful society, so finding a means to disconnect from it and relax our brains is a good goal. We can unwind by taking a hot bath, reading a book, or watching our favorite television show; we can even meditate to relax. But here's the thing about meditation for relaxation: if you're meditating mindfully (and thus reaping the full benefits of your practice), it can be a frustrating experience, which means that while it will undoubtedly provide you with some form of long-term relaxation, you might not feel completely relaxed during or even immediately after your session. If you meditate solely for peace, you will not be meditating thoughtfully, and you will miss out on the essential advantages of meditation.
So, while meditation is usually a form of relaxation, relaxation is not always meditation and vice versa. If you've tried relaxation techniques before and found them ineffective or want to experience a longer-lasting sense of calm, relaxation techniques alone won't suffice. Fortunately, meditation is about much more than relaxation. Meditation may help you establish a relationship with awareness rather than just relaxing. Knowing what to anticipate from it and what the benefits are is an integral part of the process.
What is relaxing, exactly?
The sympathetic nervous system is activated when we are anxious, and our bodies release adrenaline and cortisol, resulting in physical and emotional signs of stress. Relaxation techniques try to counteract this response by calming the breath, decreasing the heart rate, and diverting our attention away from the source of stress. Breathing exercises, yoga, and hypnotherapy are all practices that actively work to de-stress us and produce a sense of relaxation.
Relaxation is an essential element of our daily routines; without it, we would all be too stressed to function at all. When we are frightened or panicked, our minds and bodies react automatically, but when we relax, our brains may send a signal to our bodies that everything is fine and we are secure. The types of standard relaxation techniques mentioned above fall into one of two categories: either they are specifically designed to induce a relaxed state of mind, such as breathing exercises and hypnosis, or they are unique to our personalities, such as reading a book or going to the gym. Both types of activities will produce the same results. However, those that are designed to reduce stress may be more effective and require some guidance. In contrast, the other option is to intuitively follow your instincts to discover what activity helps settle your mind and create a sense of calm. It will not be challenging to produce a moment of quiet if you use any of these approaches.
Many people want this sensation of calm and relaxation when they try meditation, and many believe it is an indication that their meditation practice is succeeding. As a result, when they encounter difficult or unpleasant periods in their approach, they assume they are doing something wrong or that meditation is not for them. Don't give up if this describes your meditation experience. Although you may not feel completely relaxed after a session, the long-term advantages include relaxation as well as a shift in your mentality that helps you avoid stress in the future.
We're not suggesting you abandon your Sunday self-care ritual or stop going to the gym if it helps you unwind. However, if you want long-term peace of mind that will help you stay calm even when your external circumstances are incredibly stressful, meditation and its many benefits are for you.
Calm and insight are two words that come to me when I think about the word.
It is possible to get much calm by engaging in a variety of calming hobbies. As we've seen, relaxation isn't challenging, which is why its pleasant benefits aren't long-lasting. Insight, on the other hand, can only be obtained through practicing focused meditation. There are a variety of ideas that come to mind when we think of the term insight. Insight can mean "to see what is within," in this example, our brains and bodies. It could also refer to having a broad understanding of something or someone. Both meanings apply to the kind of insight that can be achieved through meditation.
Meditation provides both since it allows us to investigate our inner selves and develop a deeper understanding of how our minds work.
We'll get to the practical applications of obtaining insight through meditation in a moment, but first, let's look at what happens in our thoughts when we start meditating mindfully.
It's fantastic if you learn to meditate with the help of an app or a course, but eventually, meditation should become a self-guided practice. Once you've mastered this mindfulness meditation, you'll be able to step back from your inner narrator and have a better understanding of your mind. You'll start to see a clearer picture of your habits, ideas, and emotions, and you'll be able to look at them objectively and without bias. You can detach yourself from your reactions by distancing yourself from your ideas and feelings. Consider your response to a stressful scenario. By evaluating our reactions in this light, we may see the difficult situation for what it is and respond more productively and calmly.
Stress and reactivity
We can temporarily halt our reactive side through focused meditation. When we better understand ourselves and why we react the way we do, we can anticipate times when we will be stressed or inclined to lash out. This capacity thus allows us to avoid reacting without thinking in these situations. So the next time a coworker says something we disagree with, instead of immediately telling them why they're wrong and creating a hostile environment, we'll be able to detach from our reactive side and decide on the most productive and fair way to go in this challenging scenario.
This, too, is related to the idea of gaining a better understanding of our minds and being able to detach from our reactive side. Some individuals worry that meditation would make them heartless, so now is probably a good moment to clarify that detaching does not imply losing your feelings. In reality, you won't notice a significant difference in your emotions and sentiments. All that will change is how you see and respond to them. Everything around us becomes interrelated and transient as we practice mindfulness. Mindfulness will expose a new level of reality to us, revealing that stress is a temporary experience that will not benefit us in the long term, allowing us to react to that knowledge rather than our feelings of discomfort.
According to several studies, meditation's ability to help people cope with stress may be attributed to the positive emotions of those who practice it. This alone demonstrates that by choosing to meditate, we are altering our minds in ways that will have far-reaching sound effects on our lives.
Preparation should be emphasized.
Relaxation is alluring in and of itself since it provides a respite from whatever is giving us tension. However, taking this time to relax does not guarantee that we will never be in a stressful position again. For example, if you become highly stressed out while giving presentations at work, it's expected that after a long day at work, you'd like to come home and rest while watching TV and eating excellent cuisine. This will make you feel better after the stressful situation has passed. However, it will not prevent you from experiencing the same level of anxiety the next time you have to give a presentation at work. Now, if you spend some time meditating, you may acquire insight into the problem and learn how to deal with it successfully the next time you find yourself in a difficult position. As a result, meditation is significantly more beneficial to us than simply relaxing.
The mindfulness we gain from meditation can benefit us in more ways than just stress management. However, this is a welcome bonus in today's society, where there is always something to stress. When we need a mental vacation, it's easy to pick relaxation over meditation or quiet over insight. Still, the best thing we can do for ourselves, in the long run, is to devote time to meditation as a source of mindfulness. Not only will we be able to cope with stress in the present, but we will also be preparing our minds to build an immunity to unpleasant emotions such as stress in the future.