Benefit of Meditation

 "Meditate Silently.
You will be able to create
A totally new life
For Yourself."

- Sri Chinmoy

View: Course on Learning To Meditate including the benefits of meditation.

Recently there has been increased interest in the benefits that meditation can offer. For example in this BBC article "Benefit of Meditation", scientists examined the effects of meditation on the brains of Buddhist monks. Their results were of great interest suggesting that the activity of different parts of the brain changed significantly.  Dr Newberg, who led the experiment explained: "During meditation, people have a loss of the sense of self and frequently experience a sense of no space and time and that was exactly what we saw."

The ancient art of meditation has been practised since the early civilisations first sought to seek a spiritual dimension to life. In particular meditation has been practised in India since the times of the Vedic Seers. The sacred scriptures and Spiritual Masters taught that meditation was a tool seekers could use to overcome the limitations of the human mind and discover their own inner self.

If properly practised meditation can offer the following benefits.

• Greater relaxation
• Improved peace of mind
• Improved health and better sleep
• Increased concentration

However as well as relaxation, meditation is also an invaluable part of any spiritual life. Through meditation we can become aware of our inner self; meditation awakens our dormant spiritual consciousness.  As Sri Chinmoy says of meditation:

".. In meditation we dive into the vast sea of Consciousness. We do not have to ask God for Peace or Light because we are swimming in the sea of divine qualities. At that time God gives us more than we can ever imagine. The deeper we go in meditation, the more we expand our own consciousness, the more abundantly the qualities of Light, Peace and Bliss grow inside us. Meditation itself is the fertile soil where the bumper crop of Light, Peace, Bliss and Power can grow.    

In meditation there is a flame of constant aspiration. Our journey is eternal; our progress and our realisation are also constant and unending because we are dealing with Infinity, Eternity and Immortality."

Excerpt from Prayer-World, Mantra-World And Japa-World by Sri Chinmoy.

Related Pages on Benefits of Meditation

• Prisoners Benefit from Meditation article at BBC website
• Article on Benefits of Meditation at Write Spirit
• Talk on "Supreme Secret of Meditation" at Yoga of Sri Chinmoy