10 Amazing Benefits of Meditation

Meditation is a habit that I practice every day. The main purpose of it is to become more aware of what is happening in our lives, which leads to several other benefits. It has significantly improved my life, and I really think that if more people practiced it, the world would be a much more peaceful and loving place. Here are 10 amazing benefits of meditation that I have personally experienced.

#1. It can gradually cure your bad habits.

If you struggle with bad habits such as eating too much junk food or watching too much T V, it could be because you not very connected to what happens to you and your body as a result of doing these activities. With a meditation habit, you will gradually drift away from these things as your awareness becomes magnified. You will become more connected with the consequences of your actions and eventually stop doing them.

#2. You can develop better control of your emotions.

Some people have a very bad temper that they are not able to control, and as a result, hurt the ones they love. Others get sad or depressed easily at small situations and spend hours dwelling in their pain. Because meditation increases your awareness, it helps you connect yourself with what emotions you are feeling and helps you deal with them in a more logical and reasonable way.

#3. You can learn to love and appreciate yourself more.

We have all struggled to love ourselves one time or another. Maybe you’ve stayed in a toxic relationship much longer than you should have, or starved yourself to lose weight. When we are in bad situations, we may try to convince themselves that what we are doing to ourselves is not as bad as it seems since we want to feel in control of their lives. What we don’t realize is that we are fully deserving of what is best for us, and that we are more worthy than we think. With time, a meditation habit deepens our awareness and recognizes this, allowing us to develop more self-respect.

#4. You can develop better decision making skills.

Many of us are impulsive to act when we are anxious or frustrated, which can lead to bad decisions. We spend too much money on something we never use, say things we regret, or do things we shouldn’t. With a higher level of awareness, we will naturally be able to calm ourselves in times of emotional distress so we can distinguish between good and bad decisions and start making more good decisions.

#5. You can become happier with little things in life.

These days especially, many people need a lot of stimulants to keep themselves happy or entertained. They turn to drugs, alcohol, and loud music to keep their minds occupied and happy. As you become more aware of your environment with meditation, you become happier with smaller details of life around you such as nature, and you are able to live more in the present moment.

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#6. More self honestly can be developed.

Many people lie to themselves because they are not able to accept reality. They convince themselves that things are not as bad as they seem to ignore a problem they have, or that things are much worse than they seem to feel important to themselves and others. Although doing this can provide temporary ease, our problems would be solved much more quickly if we addressed them for what they really were. In addition, we would feel much better about ourselves just for
being honest. Since meditation increases our awareness, it helps us come to terms with reality better.

#7. You can become more accepting of what happens in your life.

Many of us not take everything that comes into our life with ease. We just cannot cope with the fact that we didn’t get that job, or that things are so unfair. What we don’t realize is that if we accept events in our lives as they happen, we can move on from them and not let them control us. With a mindfulness practice, you gradually become more aware of this.

#8. It can help you live in the present moment.

Do you spend a lot of time dwelling on the past? Maybe people have abused you or done you wrong. You might think that if things had gone a tiny bit differently, your life would be so much better right now. Or, you might constantly daydream about what the future will be like. While doing these things is sometimes necessary to process our experiences, our lives would be much more productive and fulfilling if we lived in the present moment and focused on what’s important now, even when it is difficult, and mindfulness helps us achieve this.

While I'm discussing this topic, I would like to say that living in the “present moment” does NOT mean that we totally disregard the past and the future when we live or lives. This is a common misconception that many people have. What living in the present moment means is that we do not allow our past and future to entirely control us, and that we are focused on what is important in our lives. It does not mean that we can make irrational decisions and justify them by saying that we are just “living in the moment.”

#9. It can help you improve your communication skills.

Many people wish that they were able to connect better with others. They may feel socially awkward and uncomfortable around certain types of people, and get caught up in what others may think of them. Mindfulness really helps us realize that others usually do not know or care about how we feel when we are interacting with them, allowing us to relax better in social situations.

#10. You can start understanding yourself more.

Everyone has different needs both physically and mentally. Some of us get tired more easily, and some of us are more sensitive than others. Many people try to suppress certain aspects of ourselves to try to fit in with others. While this is necessary sometimes, understanding our bodies and minds can help us fully embrace who we are so when situations come up that are relevant to our personal needs, so that we can deal with them better. Since meditation magnifies our awareness, we are likely to notice these unique parts of ourselves after a certain amount of time, forcing us to address them.