Meditation takes many forms, one of the most common meditation techniques is called mindfulness meditation. This practice can be used as a daily routine and be one of very effective and simple ways to cope with any unexpected stressful experience or just release the weight of worries of family life, work or study environments.

Millennia of Tradition

Mindfulness is perhaps one of the most commonly used meditation practices in the contemporary world. This meditation method originated thousands of years ago from an ancient Buddhist tradition called Samatha, which is often translated as the “tranquility of the mind”, or “mind-calmness”. The practitioner trains the mind on a singular object or function to achieve greater awareness in the moment, in simple words here and now.

How Mindfulness Meditation Works

Breathing is key to mindfulness. The individual focuses their breath — observing when and how the air enters and leaves the lungs. If any thoughts, feelings, or physical sensations occur, then the practitioner acknowledges them without judging. After that, the person simply refocuses on the breathing exercises.

This practice can be a great way to manage stress or reduce anxiety. It can also be used as a relaxation routine to give your body and mind a rest. 

There are many studies that find mindful meditation along with other techniques a valuable way to create new patterns of positive thought, remove toxicity and replenish natural balance and wellbeing.

Mindfulness meditation works because of the brain’s ability to rewire itself. Neuroplasticity is the technical term for this ability in our brains. In other words, the process of mindful meditation connects the brain to a peaceful state of mind through which the brain itself can be rewired to make positive thoughts appear more often.

Memories and Thoughts

The area of your brain that creates the chemicals that turn into emotions doesn’t know the difference between real-world experience and memories. People who have had negative experiences can recreate those negative feelings through their memories. Because of this, their brain can be triggered by negative thoughts in the present even though the real experience occurred in the past. Mindful meditation, when properly applied, can recreate these negative thoughts into neutral and even positive thoughts by triggering the mind with memories of positive experiences.