Tackling Stress With Mindfulness Meditation (Vipassana)

Health

oi-Dr Medha Gupta

Sunday, May 7, 2023, 10:05

Meditation
to
relieve
stress
and
anxiety
has
been
popular
for
over
a
thousand
years.
Indian
scriptures,
the
Vedas,
the
Upanishads,
and
Ayurveda
swear
by
meditation
as
the
best
way
to
calm
the
mind,
enhance
focus,
and
awaken
the
spiritual
you.

Mindfulness
meditation
benefits,
a

spin-off
of
regular
meditation,
are
gaining
wide
acceptance
today.
Researchers
have
discovered
that
mindfulness
meditation
alters
our
biology
and
brain
favourably,
enhancing
our
mental
and
physical
well-being.

What
is
mindfulness
meditation
to
relieve
stress
and
anxiety?
Mindfulness
is
the
practice
of
being
fully
present
and
aware
of
one’s
thoughts,
feelings,
and
environment.
It
entails
focusing
on
the
present
moment
without
passing
judgment
or
becoming
preoccupied
with
worries
about
the
past
or
the
future.

The

two
types
of
meditation
that
have
historically
been
recognized
are
mindfulness
meditation
and
concentrative
meditation.
Mindfulness
meditation,
often
known
as
“insight
meditation” or
“Vipassana
practice,”
is
becoming
increasingly
important
in
describing
how
meditation
might
support
therapeutic
development
and
personal
progress.

Mindfulness
meditation
is
a
practice
that
involves
focusing
your
attention
on
a
particular
object,
such
as
your
breath
or
a
mantra,
to
achieve
a
state
of
relaxation
and
clarity.

Guided
mindfulness
meditation
for
stress
The
concept
of
mindfulness
meditation
contains
three
essential
components
that
interact
closely
to
enhance
self-regulation:

Attention
control
The
attention
component
involves
tuning
into
your
experiences
to
concentrate
on
what
is
going
on
right
now.
Typically,
it
entails
focusing
your
attention
on
your
breath,
your
thoughts,
your
body’s
physical
sensations,
and
the
feelings
you
are
now
going
through.

Emotional
regulation
This
component
entails
impartially
monitoring
those
emotions
and
experiences.
You
try
to
take
note
of
those
ideas
or
feelings
and
let
them
go
rather
than
responding
or
reacting
to
them.

Self-awareness
This
component
attends
to
the
present-moment
body
sensations.
This
enhances
the
awareness
of
the
body
and
allows
you
to
introspect.

The
stages
of
Guided
mindfulness
meditation
for
stress
Mindfulness
meditation
is
roughly
divided
into
three
stages.
The
process
of
starting
mindfulness
meditation
as
a
beginner
and
then
becoming
an
expert
in
it
is
a
long
journey.
The
different
phases
of
this
journey
are:

Early
stage:
At
the
beginner
level,
the
efforts
of
practicing
mindfulness
meditation
are
evident.
The
mind
keeps
wandering,
and
it
is
difficult
to
focus
on
your
present
physical
state.

Middle
stage:
The
efforts
to
reduce
mind
wandering
are
lessened.
You
have
been
able
to
harness
your
mind
and
body
energies.

Advanced
stage:
The
effortless
being.
You
have
learned
the
practice
of
mindfulness
meditation.

What
does
mindfulness
meditation
do
to
your
brain?
The
brain
is
the
target
for
stress
and
stress-related
hormones
like
cortisol.
Long-term
stress
alters
the
structural
and
functional
properties
of
brain
tissues.
Chronic
stress
leads
to
plasticity
in
the
prefrontal
cortex,
hippocampus,
and
amygdala,
as
well
as
poor
neural
communication
and
degeneration.

Mindfulness
meditation
to
relieve
stress
and
anxiety
has
been
shown
to
reduce
cortisol
levels
in
the
body
and

enhance
the
grey
matter
density
of
the
brain.
This
strengthens
the
brain
and
reduces
its
plasticity.

Mindfulness
meditation
benefits
According
to
studies,
mindfulness
and
meditation
are
powerful
techniques
for
lowering
stress
and
enhancing
general
well-being.
These
are
a
few
amazing
effects
of
mindfulness
meditation:

Reducing
anxiety:
Studies
have
shown
that
mindfulness
and
meditation
can
lessen
the
signs
of
stress
and
elevate
mood.
Being
more
conscious
of
our
thoughts
and
feelings
enables
you
to
identify
and
fight
the
harmful
thought
patterns
that
fuel
worry.
Regular
mindfulness
and
meditation
practice
can
help
you
manage
your
workload
and
fight
feelings
of
overwhelm
while
also
improving
focus
and
concentration.
Resilience
is
the
ability
to
bounce
back
from
setbacks
and
difficulties,
and
mindfulness
and
meditation
can
help
with
this.
If
we
learn
to
stay
in
the
present
moment
when
faced
with
difficult
emotions
or
situations,
we
will
be
better
able
to
handle
stress
and
hardship.
Lowering
blood
pressure:
Chronic
stress-induced
hypertension
increases
the
risk
of
heart
disease
and
other
health
issues.
Studies
have
shown
that
practising
mindfulness
and
meditation
regularly
can
help
lower
blood
pressure
and
improve
heart
health.
Increasing
sleep:
Stress
can
make
it
difficult
to
fall
asleep
and
stay
asleep,
which
leads
to
poor
sleep
quality
and
daytime
exhaustion.
Mindfulness
and
meditation
have
been
shown
to
reduce
insomnia
and
improve
the
quality
of
sleep.

Conclusion
Many
programs
based
on
mindfulness
meditation
to
relieve
stress
and
anxiety
are
now
accessible
online
or
via
mobile
applications,
apart
from
attending
vipassana
sessions.
It
may
take
some
time
for
mindfulness
meditation
to
feel
normal
and
to
integrate
into
your
daily
practice.
But
as
you
get
better
at
it,
you
might
find
a
valuable
technique
for
reducing
stress
and
enhancing
well-being.