I was asking myself the same thing! Firstly, it’s helpful to clarify what meditation and mindfulness are. Payam Mirfendererski (1) says that meditation is a mental discipline which focuses on “conscious living”. What’s “conscious living” you ask? That’s the process of learning to be non-judgmental toward your thoughts and emotions, including difficult thoughts. It’s also, says Mirfendererski, learning to recognise emotions (without the pressure of having to ‘fix’ them immediately). Meditation is a practice whereas mindfulness is more all encompassing. So, meditation is a form of mindfulness – not the other way around. This is very prone to confusion given the many types of meditation that exist – including mindfulness meditation! (More on the types of meditation later).

Mirfendererski says mindfulness is “becoming fully aware of your inner sensations and the world around you”. So for example, pausing to breathe and be aware of your body is an act of mindfulness. Matthieu Ricard (2) says “Meditation is not just blissing out under a mango tree…”. Rather, it is an active mental discipline which “completely changes your brain and therefore what you are.”. To hammer in this point again: Meditation. Is. Not. Easy. It’s mentally strenuous and as such it’s important to be committed and aim to meditate everyday. (But be kind to yourself – if you don’t meditate one day, meditate the next! I slip up all the time.)

So…why meditate? (roll credits) Mirfendererski’s article Benefits of Meditation [1] has copious reasons including preventing visible aging! Click the link to see more! There is also research showing that meditation can physically change the brain (3) and “may induce positive structural changes in the brain’s white matter”. After healthy university aged volunteers meditated for 4 weeks there was an increase in axon density and myelin: both of which promote good moods. This also gives hope for the possibility of meditation to at most prevent mental disorders and at least help deal with depression, dementia and addiction.

I began meditating to help with my minor IBS. After trying probiotics and drinking kefir for a few months without change I saw that the NHS listed stress as a cause, and encouraged people to relax (4). I thought that maybe mental wellness could help alleviate the symptoms. Though I have no real proof, I believe that they have been eased through meditation! However, this is also a bit like saying I want to climb everest in order to have stronger calves – of course climbing everest will improve your calf muscles but this is not the only thing you will get out of it!

Meditating has really improved my mental health. Taking time to myself was never something I did before, and now I do! Even if a practice has gone badly, I can still feel accomplished in that I’ve taken 20 minutes to myself. It has also expanded my horizons. Previously, I was skeptical of wellness and adamant that it was just not real. Boy was I wrong. I don’t know how to put it in words really – maybe you’ll just have to try for yourself! ;))

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Sources

(1) Mirfendererski, P. 2017. Benefits of Meditation. [Online] [Accessed 2nd September 2019]. Available from: https://exploreim.ucla.edu/mind-body/the-benefits-of-mindfulness-meditation/

(2) Matthieu, R. 2003. Main edition (1 Jan. 2015) Happiness: A Guide to Developing LIfe’s Most Important Skill. Atlantic Books.

(3) Brauser, D. 2012. Meditation Induces Positive Structural Brain Changes. [Online]. [Accessed 2nd September 2019] Available from: http://exploreim.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/Meditation-Induces-Positive-Structural-Brain-Changes-printer-friendly.pdf

(4) NHS. 2017. What is IBS?. [Online]. [Accessed 2nd September 2019] Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/irritable-bowel-syndrome-ibs/