What is meditation? The history and health benefits of meditation - and how you can get started

• Meditation is a wellness practice that focuses on training awareness, attention, and compassion.
• There are many forms of meditation, but to start, try sitting in silence and counting your breaths.
• Benefits of meditation include better focus, improved self-esteem, and reduced stress.

Meditation is an ancient wellness practice that focuses on training awareness, attention, and compassion.

Research has found that meditation can reduce stress and anxiety, improve focus and concentration, and increase feelings of calm and relaxation.

The good news is anyone can do it, and it's a simple practice to pick up - but it will take practice and consistency to feel the benefits. Here's what you need to know about meditation.

What is meditation?

Meditation originated in Eastern wellness traditions, such as Ayurvedic practices in India, or traditional medicine therapies in China and Japan.

However, it's now practiced across the world and is growing in popularity in Western cultures. For example, in the US, the use of meditation increased by more than three times from 2012 to 2017.

Benefits of meditation

• Better focus and concentration
• Improve self-esteem and self-awareness
• Reduce stress
• Help manage anxiety or depression
• Fight addiction
• Control pain
• Promote altruistic behavior

Because there are varying practices across cultural, spiritual, and religious traditions, there are lots of ways to meditate.

Some common types of meditation include a body scan, walking meditation, loving-kindness meditation, or mindfulness meditation.

Mindfulness meditation

Mindfulness meditation is one of the most regularly-practiced forms in the US, according to the Global Wellness Summits' 2019 Trend Report.

Jon Kabat-Zinn, the founder of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), describes mindfulness as awareness that comes from paying attention in a purposeful way, on the present, and without judgment. MBSR is an eight-week evidence-based mindfulness meditation program that Kabat-Zinn founded with the University of Massachusetts Medical Center.

Related Article Module: What is mindfulness? Proven health benefits and how to practice it daily

Mindfulness meditation involves focusing on 'anchors' such as breath, sounds, sensations in the body, and even visual objects. Having an anchor is an important way to begin improving concentration and awareness, which can then help you be more mindful - the goal is to ultimately pay attention to your own mind without judging your feelings.

"We also observe and hold in awareness our thoughts and emotions, cultivating the stance of an observer, without over-identifying or getting caught up in them," Ralitsa Ivanova, a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction meditation teacher at Enhale Meditation Studio.

How to meditate

Mindfulness meditation can be done anywhere that you can focus. Here are a few steps to help you meditate:

1. Sit in a quiet space. Make sure there is nothing to disturb you and your phone is on silent.
2. Sit comfortably. Use a cushion, blanket, or chair. Sit straight, but don't tense up: your body should feel relaxed.
3. Breathe gently. Focus your attention on your breathing. Use this as your anchor. Alternatively, you can begin with a body scan: focus on each part of the body, down from your toes and up to your head, pausing to notice the sensations.
4. Let distractions come and go. Once your mind wanders, acknowledge the thought that has distracted you, and try to let it go as fluidly as it came into your head. Then, gently bring your attention back to your breath.

Getting distracted when meditating is inevitable, and one of the biggest worries for beginners - but distraction is a necessary part of the process.

"The moment when we notice that the mind is distracted is a moment of awareness, and is equally important as sustaining our attention on the breath or another anchor," says Ivanova. "No matter how often the mind wanders off, we bring it back - this is how we re-learn to pay attention."

A 2019 study on the efficacy of the meditation app Calm found that stress, mindfulness, and self-compassion were all significantly improved in the intervention group, who were using the mindfulness meditation programs for an average of 38 minutes per week.

Quick tip: For meditation beginners, the most important part is getting into a routine - five to 10 minutes each day is a good place to start.

Ivanova says that consistency is more important than the length of time you practice, and you can always increase your time later.

"It's like creating a new, healthy habit: it requires some level of discipline and commitment," Ivanova says. "The good news is that it works, but it takes time and patience. It doesn't happen overnight."

Insider's takeaway

There are many different types of meditation like mindfulness, loving-kindness, and body scans. You may want to try a few before deciding which is best for you.

It may also be easier to start with some guidance, either through a class or an app. Our colleagues at Insider Reviews have put together a list of the best meditations apps to help you get started.

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