I was recently reading some research about meditation and how it makes neurological changes in the brain. The longer you meditate both in daily length and over number of years, the more you actually change the neural circuits in the brain. If you have kept up your meditation practice you will likely be noticing this already. These otherwise tend to deteriorate with age.
In these times of such significant change and often turmoil, having tools like meditation help us maintain our center by being in the witness position – observing and noticing but not reacting. Ruminating or focusing on negativity is undoubtedly hazardous to ones’s health and generates waves of fear that releases a torrent of destructive neuro-chemicals into the brain.
So just to remind you of some of the “brain” benefits alone:
Improves memory
Improves creative thinking
Improves ability to cultivate positive emotions
Increases ability to focus and be present
Expands your perspective and makes you wiser
And so much more….
You really don’t need me to remind you (even though I am), that it requires a real commitment to learn meditation and even more to maintain your practice. The ego mind will certainly want to do battle with the higher self and justify why you don’t need to be consistent.
The inner voices are commonly sharing things like:
I don’t really have time
Sleep is more important than meditation
I don’t really need it.
I’m okay without it. etc.
Remember to bring consciousness to these inner voices and challenge them and the beliefs behind them.
Making your meditation practice a daily habit is certainly the best and most effective way to progress in so many aspects of your life. Even if its only 10 minutes a day to work up from there. It is the habit of giving time to yourself that is so important and you are definitely worth it.