The Power of Meditation for Recovery

 The Power of Meditation for Recovery

The Relevance of Using Meditation in Recovery

Introduction

With the increasing pressure and competition which has engulfed humanity especially with the advancement in technology, people have forgotten over Self-care. The act of meditation is one of the most profound and effective means to improve the quality of one’s life and encourage healing. Meditation also means the deliberate concentration and directing of consciousness in such a manner as to reach a state of mind that is characterized by a multiplicity of physiological and psychological benefits. This strikingly basic and powerful technique has recently come to the forefront in the cumulative literature due to a plethora of advantages both physical, mental, and emotional for persons in the recovery process following a variety of life adversities.

The Science Behind Meditation

Meditation, therefore, involves use of several areas of the brain leading to alterations of brain structure and its activity over time. Studies have also predicted that meditation could help up regulate the amygdala, which is the area of the brain that houses some of the stress and feels scared feelings. Daily meditation has been found to reduce the size of the amygdala which means that one will have little stresses that one has to deal with.

In addition, meditation enhances the volume of gray matter in areas of the brain behind attention, feelings, and self-control. It is achieved through the process called neuropllasticity, which is the brain’s capacity to change and adjust to stimulus. The exercises used in meditating have widely been known to cause the creation of new neuron pathways in the brain hence strengthening the brain.

In the same regard, another kind of meditation called mindfulness meditation which concentrates on the present moment without any critical attitude, has also been found to enhance the gyri form the pre-frontal cortex associated with decision making, attention and emotional control.

Meditation and Mental Health

It is even more than just a relaxation technique as it impacts the psychology of a human being so deeply. These have been linked to enhanced mental wellbeing such as, 50 percent reduced levels of anxiety, depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Furthermore, studies reveal that adopting meditation into practice decreases the cortisol level and elevates serotonin, which is the mood-booster hormone and neurotransmitter.

Besides these, evidence indicates that meditation is crucial in a number of areas including pain and addiction. Meditation and body awareness in form of the mindfulness- based stress reduction (MBSR) helps manage chronic pain and decrease substance use disorders severity.

The Use of Meditation in Rehabilitation

Meditation also such a powerful tool that can influence the body’s ability to heal itself. Luminary human research shows that the effects of meditation in the process of recovery encompass aspects like inflammation where meditation reduces this factor. The process of inflammation is essential to the body’s defense mechanism against harm or sickness, but when continual, is a path to chronic diseases like; heart illnesses, diabetes, and cancer. Some of the studies have demonstrated that a practice of meditation lowers levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which are proteins that induce inflammation and improve bodily health.

Also, meditating has the potential of boosting immunity because stress is known to weaken body’s defense against diseases through what is referred to as immunosuppression. This may help explain why simple relaxation techniques such as the one used in this study – meditation, can boost the body’s ability to crush cancer cells and viruses The relaxation response of the calming meditation caused an up-tick in Natural Killer cell activity by 86%.

But meditation also has a role in healing the physical aspects of the person as well since it helps the person feel calm and whole which can lead to proper health choices that need to be made in life. Daily Lifelong Learning Meditation practice has been found to make people eat better, exercise, and more satisfied in their lives all of which make good health and recovery possible.

Post-Acquired Brain Injury Meditation as a Recovery Strategy

There are many types of meditation that can be especially useful for recovery depending on the body, mind and spirit of the individual. One exemplary intervention is the practicing of Loving-Kindness meditation, which has an individual or a group focus on love, good will, and compassion towards oneself, as well as towards other people. It is most helpful for people who have constant stress, anxiety, and depression since it strengthens the sense of self-care and one’s relation to others.

Another programm which has been tried in the context of recovery is the use of guided imagery, which is a technique of the practitioners where patients are guided through an imaginary calm and healing place. Focusing on positive and comforting mental images can be especially useful for treating patients with cancer-derived pain or other patients in need of help to heal, because the practitioner cannot lose sight of the positive aspects of the thoughts, feelings, and sensations, while at the same time losing the influence of negative states.

Another practice, which has also been put to use as a stress relieving technique and a method of achieving proper mental and physical state, is transcendental meditation – a technique that relies on the use of a personal mantra. Practice can make the brain progressive, progressive changes that are mostly related to the cardiovascular health of an individual, less anxiety and improved cognitive functions that translate to increment change.

As earlier discussed, the practice of mindfulness-based meditation may be quite useful and helpful to people suffering from chronic pain and addiction. Since the Mind gives a chance to focus more, it will result in improvement of recovery process since the mind is trained to stay and not be judgmental.

Conclusion

In my opinion, meditation is one of the most effective ways to promote recovery. As indicated above, the benefits of meditation are numerous and range from physical, mental, and even emotional that makes it a useful resource to those who need to overcome the stresses of life. Through the development of order, promoting consciousness and improving all physiologic functions, meditation suggests a way to physical and spiritual regeneration.

Perhaps meditation can’t solve all the problems that a person can encounter, but it allows for building up strength and character, and thus it must be included in a list of practices that any individual should turn to for improving his or her quality of life. When we spend time in meditating, we are investing in the future of our internal being; giving attention in our journey towards healing, understanding, and inner peace.