Should I be Meditating?

Should I be Meditating?

The health benefits of medication and mindfulness are numerous! Meditation can alleviate stress and improve your ability to heal. Starting a meditation routine doesn't have to be difficult. 

What is Meditation? 

Meditation is the act of refocusing your mind to bounce back from a stressful event. Mindfulness is the act of being present and paying close attention to your actions - like your breath, for example. There are many types of meditation out there. They originated in Eastern countries like India and China before making its way to the West, where it gained popularity.

What is the Difference Between Meditation and Relaxing?

Relaxation is a passive action with the goal of calming the body, while meditation is more active, continuing to return to a point of focus. The act of bringing the mind back into focus whenever it begins to drift into other thoughts leads to more self-awareness, focus, and an increased ability to handle stress.

What are the Health Benefits of Meditation?

Meditation helps to calm the mind, improve focus, and heal the body. Meditation has been proven to improve sleep, help manage pain and behavior, and give people more control over their healing ability. Meditation can help to reduce anxiety, lower blood pressure and resting heart rate, improve attention span, and may even be linked to a decrease in age-related memory loss. 

How To Get Started Meditating

Daily mindfulness can be a great way to incorporate meditation into your life. There are plenty of resources out there to help you get started, such as free You-Tube videos and Apps like Headspace or Calm. There is benefit to spending just five or ten minutes a day with your meditation practice. 

Author

R Ellen Eye, MD, FACOG Rita Ellen Eye, MD is a board-certified OB/GYN physician who joined Premier OB-Gyn in 2014. Dr. Eye is originally from Potosi, Missouri, a small town near St. Louis (and she remains a loyal fan of the St. Louis Cardinals!). She graduated from her high school as Valedictorian. She attended Missouri University of Science and Technology, earning her Biological Sciences degree while graduating with Magna Cum Laude honors. She received her doctoral degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2006. Dr. Eye went on to complete her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology and was honored by being elected Chief Resident at the University of Oklahoma in Tulsa. She began her successful private practice in Texas where she lived and worked for four years before moving to Florida. She is married to husband Chet and a proud mom to a sweet daughter named Faith. Dr. Eye is board certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.