While we all have a bit more time on our hands due to the lockdown, this might be the perfect time to learn meditation, which has become much in vogue lately because of its many benefits for both the body and mind.
Meditation is an age-old practice of inner focus. In the past, it was associated with sages and monks who were on a quest for divinity and enlightenment. Today, it is embraced by people around the world from all walks of life due to the many benefits it has to offer. Meditation is, for example, known to reduce stress and provide a sense of calm, peace, and inner balance. It also increases energy and enhances the body’s immune defense system. Other benefits that meditation practitioners often recount is reduction of pain, reduced blood pressure, and increased energy levels, just to name a few.
One meditation practice that has gained worldwide popularity due to its many positive benefits—including mental, physical, and spiritual—is Falun Dafa.
Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong, was introduced to the public in China in 1992. Based on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, this ancient mind-body practice consists of meditation and four gentle, moving exercises. Within only five years since its introduction in China, the number of people practicing it skyrocketed to at least 70 million. The reason for this extraordinary growth was its healing power, both physical and spiritual. Today, Falun Gong is practiced by over 100 million people all over the world. (For more information and to learn online: falundafa.org)
Dr. Jingduan Yang, who is a neurologist, psychiatrist, and expert in Chinese medicine and integrative medicine, shared with The Epoch Times that “the medical healing power produced by Falun Gong is hard to understand because it belongs to another paradigm, but the cultivation of mind and spirit that Falun Dafa teaches is consistent with the modern understanding of health.”
The Power of Quieting the Mind
At the root of meditation’s healing power is, in fact, the mind. According to Eastern medicine, thoughts and emotions correspond to different organs, and in the West, we often talk about the powerful connection between mind and body, and its relation to health.
For example, it is known that cumulative stress decreases the activity of the immune system and eventually takes a toll on our health. Meditation, in turn, is usually associated with stillness, and with quieting the mind to eliminate distracting and negative thoughts. Therefore, when we meditate and learn to quiet the mind so we are not distracted by negative thoughts (and subsequent feelings), it will naturally have a powerful, positive effect on the body and our health.
Get Started
To get started, find a quiet place where you can be alone. This will help you focus, which can be a bit hard to do at first. (But, as with everything else, you will improve with consistent and regular practice). Then sit calmly with your eyes closed, cross-legged if you can, for as long as you can while trying to empty your mind (quieting your thoughts). Sometimes adding soft, peaceful music in the background can help. Try to keep up a consistent routine, since repeated practice will provide better results.
