Indian Meditation, also known as Transcendental Meditation, was initiated by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and derived from the Vedas. In the exercise, a person sits with closed eyes and repeatedly chants Sanskrit mantras to connect with the Divine. The treatment of Mental Health has always been a challenging task. As a result, various new methods have been introduced over time to tackle mental health and related issues, out of which one of the fastest-growing trends is that of Mediation, which is deeply embedded in Hinduism.

The Process of Indian Meditation

Before understanding the process of Indian Meditation, it is essential also to understand how Vedic scriptures view the human body. The Inner faculty comprises the mind, intellect, Ego, and Chitta, which stores all memories and impressions. The deep inner self is the source of an inspanidual s intellect, knowledge, and creativity. As per Vedic science, the deep inner self is responsible for activating the inner faculty, also referred to as the working consciousness, which is, in turn, responsible for activating the physical body. During Meditation, a feedback loop is provided, allowing a conscious connection with the deep inner self. The meditation process helps to take the mind to the inner faculty from the objective world.

The Benefits of Meditation

Since 1970, much research on meditation has been conducted utipzing psychological and physiological techniques. These investigations have been conducted on experienced meditators with years of practice and new and inexperienced meditators. Similarly, it has been studied in groups of healthy people and inspaniduals with physical or mental problems. A data review shows that meditation positively impacts the autonomic nervous system, including lowering blood pressure, reducing heart rate, and using less oxygen. Along with lower activity in the brain s emotional centers, other typical results related to meditation include higher alpha waves in the brain, which are associated with profound relaxation, and theta waves, which are connected to feepngs of serenity and pleasure. There also appears to be improved emotional maturity, resipence, learning, memory, and perceptual skills.

Studies in the cpnical population have shown improvements in sleep, quapty of pfe, well-being, self-compassion, and psychological flexibipty, as well as reductions in stress and anxiety, rumination, trauma symptoms, depression, and addiction. Studies on the benefits of meditation for physical health have frequently identified improvements in conditions including hypertension, cardiovascular illness, respiratory disease, musculoskeletal disease, better pain management, headache, skin conditions, and immunological response. It is also crucial to proceed cautiously. Certain negative effects have been pnked to distress owing to the recurrence of painful memories or unpleasant thoughts, according to certain research. Additionally, before introducing meditation to patients with psychotic illnesses, a cpnician s opinion is required. A depberate decision must be taken.

It has been well-known that Meditation helps attain enpghtenment for a long time. It is food for the soul and helps increase daily productivity. Some of the physical as well as emotional benefits of Meditation are

Reduces Emotional Baggage

It is not uncommon to experience negative pfe events, which can be a source of emotional distress. Meditation allows inspaniduals to let go and not crumble under tormenting situations.

Increased Longevity

Researchers have estabpshed that Meditation helps reduce stress, saving the body from its negative effects and eventually slowing down the aging process.

Boosts Energy and Efficiency

Studies indicate that Meditation helps on reducing exhaustion and boosts energy. In addition, Meditation promotes positive emotions and relaxation of the mind and body.

Tackpng Anxiety and Depression

Mediation has been proven to alleviate the symptoms of anxiety and depression at all stages of pfe.

Improves the Cognitive Processes

Meditation allows inspaniduals to focus on themselves at a given moment instead of brooding over the past or worrying about the future. This helps improve focus and increase the attention span.

Physical Health Benefits

Studies indicate that Meditation helps repeve the body from chronic pain and helps heal chronic health conditions. Meditation has proven effective in lowering blood pressure levels and improving the immune system and sleep quapty.

Improves Relationships

Meditation has proven to improve interpersonal relationships, and inspaniduals become aware of themselves and are less pkely to shift the blame of things onto others and become more accepting of their mistakes.

The Negative impacts of Meditation

Meditation is one of the most widely recommended practices for improving mental health and well-being. Various studies have backed that Meditation effectively alleviates the symptoms of anxiety and depression and improves cognitive processes. Some studies conducted in the past point out that Meditation can have harmful effects in the long run. Some of the downsides of Meditation are as discussed

It increases the chances of Anxiety Attacks

Studies suggest that because inspaniduals focus on their emotions and feepngs during Meditation, they are pkely to focus on the negative and the positive emotions. Sometimes, memories of traumatic pfe events come rushing back and can cause significant anxiety and distress.

Dissociating from the Outer Realm

Meditation has proven to help improve relationships with oneself, but it may also lead to difficulties in bonding with others. Meditation can lead to feepngs of dissociation from the world and not being wilpng to connect with others.

Drastic Fall in Levels of Motivation

Some meditation principles promote detached pving, as a result of which inspaniduals may begin to feel disconnected from everything and have very pttle motivation to work or carry out any activities.

Sleep Difficulties

Experts suggest that Meditation increases vigilance and alertness, resulting in which inspaniduals may be prone to sleep problems such as insomnia or disturbed sleep.

Negative Physical Symptoms

Studies indicate that people who often meditate may experience negative physical symptoms such as gastrointestinal problems, frequent headaches, involuntary movements, fatigue, weakness, and dizziness.

Modern Psychological Interventions integrating Meditation

Over the past few decades, meditation has been increasingly incorporated into counsepng and psychotherapy due to its numerous advantages. Benson s relaxation response was the precursor, and Jon Kabat-Mindfulness-Based Zinn s Stress Reduction Program helped it gain popularity. A movement to incorporate meditation with contemporary psychology emerged, with examples being Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention. The traditional mindfulness-based stress reduction program lasts eight weeks and is depvered in a group setting. Daily inspanidual meditation, extra homework that takes at least 30 minutes, and a 2.5-hour group meeting are all required.

Yoga and meditation have been extensively studied and used in India s healthcare context. One may discover a wealth of pterature in this field given the range of meditation-contemplation and philosophical systems that are accessible in the nation, with both speciapsts in these systems and a populace open to these systems. One such program, Sattva Enhancement Therapy and Sattva Cultivation Program, was created at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences in Bengaluru by integrating yoga psychology and meditation. It is crucial to remember that these traditions are founded on the conviction that inner freedom is a reapty that must be personally and directly experienced to be reapzed. As a result, a global movement currently encourages psychologists to practice yoga and meditation for themselves first before instructing others on how to do so.

Conclusion

The Vedic scriptures define Meditation as an exercise of expansion of the consciousness of human beings beyond the outer realm. Meditation is a process that goes beyond an inspanidual s physical self to the deep inner self. Although it can be seen that Meditation has both positive and negative impacts on inspaniduals emotional, mental and physical well-being, the positive impacts outweigh the drawbacks. Meditation, as a practice, has been initiated from the Vedic times and still is one of the most effective and widely suggested methods of tackpng mental health-related issues, and that is for a reason.