Meditation made me into a completely better person. The practice is spiritually gratifying. I have also experienced many benefits since I began my practice three years ago. I am always amazed at the tranquility it brings to so many people's lives.
- Learning to forget the past– Meditation actually taught me that the past can be considered an illusion. I was spending so much of my time holding onto so much anger from my past. It was ruining my current existence. I found I was holding to things my grandfather and other family members did over thirty years previously.
- Increased self-confidence- Sitting peacefully with yourself for just a few minutes per day can boost your self-confidence at unbelievable levels. I use to be extremely shy and awkward about dealing with people in large group settings. Meditation played a large role in overcoming those fears. I have a much stronger image of myself which helps alleviate the stress during these situations.
- Reduced stress- I started noticing a huge reduction of my own stress level when I began my meditation practice. I learned to no longer be as bothered by some of the less important things in life. Don't just believe me however. A Harvard psychiatry student, Jon Denninger is currently in the process of proving a five year study on this same benefit of meditation.
- Increased creativity- Many meditation exercises are designed specifically to help increase your creativity. I have developed an amazing ability to resolve many problems and issues that arise creatively. I gained such power by learning to seek resolution from a much calmer and collective place.
- Improved public speaking skills- Public speaking scares many people. I am an amateur stand-up comedian. I can remember shaking like a leaf my first dozen or so performances This was a major source of inspiration to try meditation. Meditations teaches me how to become calm even in the most stressful situations.
Wrap-up
I am extremely grateful that my friend Ginger suggested attending a meditation workshop three years ago now. I have seen such drastic improvements in the quality of my own life. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested. You will probably be just as addicted as I am.
What kind of meditation practices have you tried?
Additional Sources: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-11-22/harvard-yoga-scientists-find-proof-of-meditation-benefit.html