Meditation isn’t necessarily about becoming a different, new or better person; it is used to help people obtain a healthy sense of perspective. By doing this, people are not trying to turn off their emotions, but are rather learning to observe them without judgment. The goal for many people that practice meditation is to better understand the way they think and the path that led them to their mindset.
According to, GAIAM, meditation can bring people many benefits. It positively affects mental health and physical health as well. For example, meditating can help lower a person’s blood pressure, heart rate and it can improve blood circulation.
The Art of Living says, if someone were to be feeling stressed or not at ease, meditation is a great way to help them relieve those feelings.
Many people say meditation can be difficult and to meditate you need to be in a certain head-space, listen to a certain sound, think specific things or take a lot of time out of their day, but this is not fully true. There are many different styles of meditation and ways to do it. There is not a specific ‘right way’. Whatever works for someone is the best for them.
“I think it is really great for your mind,” sophomore Julia Kraus said. “It gives you a chance to relax and clear your mind of anything that you feel is necessary. It is easy once you figure out how to relax yourself and focus on it.”
Mindful recommends lots of great ways to get started as a beginner. They recommend getting in a comfortable position and choosing how long the person wants to take a break and feel relaxed. Then, it is recommended to notice how they are breathing and to be focused on their breaths. Next, it is suggested to see where their mind has wandered and be kind to it.
“It can definitely make a person happier,” senior Adriana Barrera said. “Meditation is essentially just releasing all the negative tension and feelings you have in your mind and body. Having a more peaceful mindset can push away all those emotions that don’t make you happy.”
Meditation can be a positive escape for people feeling negative energy in their everyday life. Finding time to simply relax and release the energy that is dragging them down can be a beneficial first step into meditation.
