The practice of meditation is thousands of years old and was initially utilized to achieve religious enlightenment. The physical and psychological benefits of meditation began to be studied in the 1960s. The practice started gaining in popularity in the 1970s when celebrities touted it as a means of coping with the pressures of fame. Over the ensuing decades, meditation became increasingly popular, especially as scientific studies continually demonstrated its many benefits, including stress reduction and pain management.
At Harmony Hills mental health treatment center, we combine evidence-based therapies and holistic practices to deliver comprehensive treatment to adults struggling with mental health issues. Our meditation therapy program provides the skills and tools to help clients manage everyday stress and the symptoms associated with anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders. Call 855.494.0357 to discover how you can benefit from meditation.
A Look at How Meditation Can Help with Mental Health
One of the most significant benefits of meditation is that, once the skills are developed, anyone can do it almost anywhere. Meditation is simple, can be cost-free, and does not require any special equipment.
Meditation aims to focus your attention on the present moment to eliminate the jumble of thoughts crowding your mind and causing stress. Meditation also fosters the mind-body connection by bringing calm to your body through calming the mind and activating your natural relaxation response.
Individuals who struggle with anxiety, trauma, depression, substance use disorders, or other mental health conditions can discover meditation benefits, including:
- Improved emotional regulation – Meditation helps individuals regulate the frequency and intensity of emotional reactions.
- Reduced stress and anxiety – Learning to manage and redirect negative thoughts helps minimize anxious thoughts and feelings.
- Reduced risk of substance use – Individuals with healthy ways to cope with everyday stress and mental health symptoms are less likely to seek relief from drugs or alcohol
- Improved relationships – Meditation fosters mindfulness, enhancing communication and interpersonal skills, leading to healthier relationships.
- Increased attention span – Regular meditation increases attention span, allowing individuals to focus on the task at hand instead of being distracted by wandering thoughts.
- Reduced negative thinking – Meditation increases positivity by clearing ruminating thoughts that cause stress and replacing them with positive thinking.
Studies show that meditation is proven effective across all demographics. Meditation is not a replacement for professional mental health treatment. Still, a meditation therapy program can play a vital role in helping individuals learn to manage mental health symptoms to lead a higher quality of life.
The Physical Benefits of Meditation
In addition to helping with mental health, meditation has been proven to have various benefits for physical health. Stress can have profound impacts on physical health, particularly when individuals live with chronic stress. Physically, meditation lowers cortisol levels, reduces resting heart rate, reduces resting blood pressure, and slows breathing allowing vital organs to receive more oxygen.
Meditation can help individuals manage the symptoms of conditions such as:
- Post-surgical, acute, or chronic pain
- High blood pressure
- Heart disease
- Asthma
- Cancer
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Peptic ulcers
- Migraines and tension headaches
- Insomnia and other sleep-related issues
Through increasing patience, tolerance, and resiliency, meditation can help individuals gain a new perspective on their circumstances, increase self-esteem and self-awareness, and build the skills needed to improve daily functioning and overall well-being.
Discover the Benefits of Meditation at Harmony Hills
At Harmony Hills, we believe everyone should have the opportunity to recover from mental health disorders to live their best lives. Our residential treatment center provides compassionate, comprehensive mental health treatment with resort-style amenities. In addition to our meditation therapy program, we offer:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
- EMDR
- Art therapy
- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
- Trauma therapy
- Music therapy
- Individual therapy
- Group therapy
- Family therapy
Stress is unavoidable. Having healthy coping mechanisms to rely on can ensure that stress does not interfere with your quality of life. Discover the benefits of meditation therapy at Harmony Hills. Reach us online or call 855.494.0357 to learn about our mental health treatment programs.
