In this modern world where materialism takes center stage in many societies, prayer and meditation is often scoffed at and some people even consider it a waste of time. This is probably because they don’t really understand what goes on when someone just sits in silence and takes deep breaths. In fact, for something that looks so sedentary, meditation actually has a lot of benefits not only for one’s spirituality but for the physical health as well.

The Role of Prayer and Meditation in Reducing Stress

• Stress is usually aggravated by over-thinking about the negative experiences in one’s life. Meditation trains the mind to focus and eventually get rid of all the negativity in your brain.

• Meditation is typically done in a quiet and peaceful environment. Without noise and pollution to distract you, you can easily get rid of your stress.

• During stressful situations, the body produces certain chemicals that make you feel fidgety and anxious. On the contrary, praying and meditating will help your body produce chemicals that make you feel happier and more relaxed.

• When you meditate at the end of a long day, you can easily let go of past problems, freeing your mind to appreciate the positive things in your life.

• Meditation can be hard to master but once you do learn how to do it properly and you start doing it everyday, your overall attitude towards life will be more positive all the time, and not just while you are meditating.

Tips for Effective Meditation

• Be as comfortable as you can. You can sit on a chair, lie down or even stand. The best position is the one where you feel most relaxed.

• Close your eyes and imagine the stress leaving your body gradually, beginning with the toes and all the way up to the rest of your body. Take deep breaths and imagine some of the stress dissipating each time you exhale.

• For a lot of people, meditation is much easier with the use of a mantra of some kind. Most people use “ohm” but you can chant whatever you like. This might make you feel silly at first but as you get used to it, you’ll realize how helpful a mantra can be to gain complete focus.

• During the first few times that you attempt to meditate, you might find it difficult to completely clear your mind for meditation. Let your mind wander for a while and gradually focus again on your breathing and on chanting your mantra.

• Take about 15 minutes for each session then just sit there with your eyes closed for a few moments. When you feel totally relaxed, you can go on with whatever it is that you were previously doing.

One of the great things about meditation is that you can do it almost anywhere. You don’t have to buy any special equipment and you don’t need to sign up for a gym membership either.

The effects of meditation can be quite powerful. By simply sitting there and apparently doing nothing, you are actually making significant improvements to your physical, mental and emotional well-being.