Benefits To Meditation
(The temple grounds of The Singapore Buddhist Lodge, where I was yesterday.)
“Meditation is like having a spa for your brains. Your brain lasts longer. And you don’t have to worry about degenerating brain cells even after 40 years old.”
These were the opening words to the Bliss Out Meditation workshop that I attended last evening. The speaker was Ajahn Brahm, head abbot of the Bodhinyana Monastery in Western Australia, on a stopover in Singapore. Ajahn Brahm is the spiritual patron to The Buddhist Fellowship, a local non-sectarian Buddhist organisation of which I volunteer my writing services to.
I was with my brother at the workshop yesterday, in the hope of introducing meditation to him. A stockbroker, he has been concerned by the recent deteriorating reports of Singapore’s economy and the impact on his clients. De-stressing via quiet sitting practices can help to still the mind, I recommended.
There has been so many articles written about meditation benefits already that I had no initial plans to publish any on my site. Then again, I am reminded that there may be others out there who will like to read one, from a monk’s perspective. And what more if it is from Ajahn Brahm?
With his usual dose of wit and humor, Ajahn Brahm provided an entertaining yet educational talk into the benefits of meditation. Highlighted in this post are quotes and notes distilled from his workshop yesterday.
Aide To Physical Relaxation. With “sweeping meditation”, we can help our body to completely relax. Sweeping meditation involves sending loving-kindness to each of our body part. Starting with the toes, we use our minds to first establish “contact”, tune into the sensations felt, relax the muscles around, ease off tensions and make peace with any pain.
Keep sending metta (which means “loving kindness” in pali) until a tingling sensation is felt. We then move on to our feet, lower calves, legs and so on, up our body, one area at a time, with the same exercise and then finally to the top of our head.
“Sweeping meditation” is a wonderful pre-start to breath meditation. Relaxing the body beforehand is helpful to calming the mind sufficiently for focus on the breath. Meditation, whether via the watching of the breath or any other form, becomes very much a gentle exercise when it is combined with loving- kindness.
Reduces Diseases; Improves Overall Health. Healing of the physical body is activated when we send loving kindness to each body part. Numerous studies have already shown that meditation is helpful in cases of cancer, depression, anxiety, bad spine, etc. Ajahn Brahm said that every physical discomfort has an emotional part to it, a view that I have often shared on my site. The act of sending metta releases the tension and stress from the part of our body that is blocked.
In terms of mental health, meditation does not cause anyone to go mad either. Responding to a question from the audience about whether or not it is dangerous to meditate, Ajahn Brahm said…
“It’s more dangerous not to meditate. Far more people become crazy not meditating than those who do.”
Being in the Now. Much of our mind is preoccupied with thoughts about the past and worries about the future. We imprison ourselves very much in the past, when we refuse to let go of thoughts that prevent us from moving forward. We keep ourselves stuck in guilt and regret.
“The past is comprised of dead moments piled onto your head.”
Likewise, when we worry, we neglect the most important time, which is now. We forget that the “future is created in the now”. If we take charge of what happens today, we take care of our tomorrows.
“Be kind to this moment. Then the moment stays with you.”
Being in the Now is the source of great happiness. No guilt and no worries. It is as if we have just come alive. We are in the reality of now. And meditation allows us to do just that. It is a practice in present moment awareness.
“Monks who meditate are the happiest people in the world.”
Allows For Clarity and Insight. Meditation is the doorway to inner wisdom. Insight is not gained from reading a religious book but from a knowing that comes from within. It comes in the gaps, the silent spaces in-between our thoughts.
“Meditation is the holy book of Buddhism.”
Sometimes we mistakenly believe that it is our thinking that helps us to know the world. However, it is the inner speech that spins the delusions. It constructs the filters by which we perceive our surroundings. Only in present moment awareness, can we access truth.
In this space, we do not attach labels or names (or “flapping mouths”) because we are not thinking. Silence simply means no commentary. We do not think thoughts like “oh..this is beautiful” or “this is gross”. We are simply in the moment. In stillness, we experience reality at its very core essence. We see reality as-is.
Ajahn Brahm shared that when he decided to slow down to take a walk as compared to looking through the window of a fast moving car one day, he was able to see very much more. He realized that he had missed so many details about his surroundings, things that he had not noticed before. He was able to listen to the birds, feel the wind, take in the sights. The reality experienced was much more deep and beautiful, simply from slowing down!!
You may then ask: Is it even possible to not think? Going by the constant chatter in our minds, most of us may well assume it impossible. To prove otherwise, Ajahn Brahm showed us a simple example. While talking, he unexpectedly stopped mid-sentence. Then he went into a pause. We waited with abated breath, taken by surprise. No thoughts. When he continued, he pointed out that we have just experienced gaps! (If you have been longing to know what the silence between thoughts feel like, try this exercise with someone!!)
Enhances Productivity. Setting aside half an hour a day for meditation can enhance our overall productivity. We are able to stay more alert and process things much faster during the rest of the day, when we allow our minds the space to rest without thoughts. The relationship between increased productivity and meditation are also backed up by numerous well-known studies.
“Meditation helps create more gigabytes between our ears.”
Your Sharing Please
Do you spend time meditating everyday? Has it benefited you? Please share if any.
Past Articles on Meditation:
1) Five Hindrances to A Successful Meditation
3) My Happiness Retreat in Khao Lak
Final Note
It is going to be a long weekend due to the Chinese New Year celebrations. It will be a time for family reunions and the gatherings of friends. I will not be publishing any posts until the end of next week. Happy New Year to all Singaporeans and Chinese around the world!!
Namaste,
Evelyn
Download Your Free eBook on 3 Mindset Strategies to Turn Self-Doubt into Confidence When You Subscribe
