Coronavirus – This microorganism, which cannot be even seen by our eyes, shook the entire world. It brought the world to a standstill in a matter of a few months. Even the most excellent fictional writer could not imagine such a state of the world. It changed our lives dramatically and brought in a lot of uncertainty in life. We didn’t know what was in store for the next few days or few months during the coronavirus times. We experienced fear and panic all around in Social media and news channels.
And the inevitable lockdown brought a host of problems like no maid, too much of work at home, work from home, boredom, no socialization, no theaters, no parks, unexpected financial losses, etc. It was challenging to stay at home day in and day out. All these issues eventually caused stress, fear, anxiety, depression, etc. on the global level.
Other than following the guidelines issued by the Government, we could not do anything about coronavirus. This situation was not in our control. We just had to go through the entire situation without any other alternatives. Yesterday, it was coronavirus, and in the future, something else can come up, which can be beyond our control. We cannot control the happening of such external situations, but one important thing we can control is – how we react to such situations.
Our reactions and responses to situations in life are in our hands. It’s up to each one of us whether to be stressed or to stay strong in such situations. Is there a way where we can stay calm and alert in such tough situations without fear and panic? Is there a way to handle unexpected situations of life with inner calmness and mental strength? The good news is Yes. There is a way. It is meditation.
Meditation is an ancient technique that is in existence for thousands of years. It is taught across the religions and by various Saints in different forms, but it is not related to any particular religion. Just like Sunshine, Earth, water are for everyone, so is meditation. It is a gift to humanity. On seeing the word meditation, some people think that meditation is tough. They believe they cannot meditate because they overthink. They believe their never-ending thoughts stop them from meditating. This is a myth. Meditation is easy and fun, and it is precisely for people who overthink.
There are more than 100 types of meditations in the world, and all these meditations carry the same objective – to calm down our thoughts and emotions. Methods are different, but the end objective is the same. So, you can choose any form of meditation that resonates with you. Below are some benefits of practicing meditation regularly.
7 ways meditation can help us
1. Meditation helps us to develop control over our emotions. During challenging times like coronavirus, we get carried away by our emotions. We go through anxiety, fear, worry, and depression due to the panic and fear created around us. We go through sleepless nights due to these emotions. With regular meditation, one gains inner strength to stay strong and positive in such times. Meditation gives us the strength to come out of negative emotions like fear, anxiety, worry, depression, anger, resentment, etc. It helps us to choose our emotions rather than feeling helpless. When we gain control over emotions, it’s a great freedom in life.
2. Meditation sharpens our thinking. When we have a strong mind, it gives us the strength to stay calm in tough situations and helps us to come up with solutions to problems. Only a person with a sharp mind and controlled emotions can think of solutions in challenging situations.
3. Meditation alone or when coupled with simple physical exercises, breathing exercises, and positive affirmations, can improve the immunity of our body. Our body responds to our thoughts and emotions. When we are filled with positive thoughts, our body also responds positively and finds enough strength to fight back infections. Strong immunity is an important aspect that helps us stay healthy and strong during diseases like coronavirus. Our immunity is our shield, and meditation helps in building this.
4. Modern life is already filled with stress, and uncertain times like coronavirus increase the stress due to various reasons. It becomes challenging to cope up with such high levels of stress. Meditation de-stresses us and gives us a good break from stress. Meditation also gives us enough inner strength to handle these high-stress levels with inner calmness. Meditating for a couple of minutes a day recharges and prepares you for various situations in life.
5. During challenging times, our relationship with our family members becomes challenging because of low patience and high stress. Meditation improves our patience levels and, thereby, interpersonal relationships. We become a better spouse, better parent, better colleague with meditation.
6. There will be a lot of uncertainty in the external world when situations are out of control, but when our mind is also filled with uncertainty, it adds to the stress and troubles us greatly. Having clarity of thought is vital in such uncertain times. Meditation brings us clarity of thought.
7. And most importantly, meditation brings us profound inner peace. We all desire peace in our hearts and want to sleep without worries about tomorrow. Meditation brings us this peace.
These are some benefits of practicing meditation regularly. Meditation is an absolute need in uncertain times, and coronavirus has taught us that life is bound to become uncertain. It taught us that we cannot take the certainty of our life for granted. Any day, our entire life can change and become upside down like it happened with coronavirus times. We cannot predict what is store in the future, but we can prepare for it.
When we meditate regularly, we are better equipped to face the challenges and uncertainties that life brings us. How we feel and think about situations in life is in our hands, and we can exercise this choice better with regular meditation in life.
Meditate regularly and stay strong!
