Meditation is a simple mental exercise designed to gain control over your attention so you can choose what to focus upon.
Meditation involves focusing upon either something repetitive (such as a word repeated in your mind) or something unchanging (such as a spot on the wall).
There are different types of meditation. Some types use external objects to focus upon, others employ a geometric figure called a mandala, and others use silently repeated words or sounds.
Meditation has been used in the treatment of muscle tension, anxiety, drug abuse, and hypertension. It lowers blood pressure, heart and respiratory rates, and the skin's electrical conductance, and it increases the blood flow to the arms and legs.
Meditation has been found to have several beneficial psychological effects. It can help alleviate anxiety and is related to an internal locus of control, greater self-actualization, improvement in sleep, decreased cigarette smoking, headache relief, and a general state of positive mental health.
To learn to meditate, you need a quiet place. Sit in a straight-backed chair and in your mind repeat the word "one" when you inhale and the word "two" when you exhale with your eyes closed. These words should be repeated each time you breathe, and this should continue for twenty minutes.
For meditation to be effective, you need to practice it regularly. It is recommended that you avoid consciously altering your breathing, forcing yourself to relax, or coming out of a meditative state too abruptly. Since digestion inhibits peripheral blood flow, it is best to meditate before eating in the morning and evening.
Meditation's effectiveness is hindered by the administration of stimulants. Stimulants such as nicotine in cigarettes and caffeine in coffee, tea, and some soft drinks will interfere with the trophotropic (relaxation) response.
