Meditate for a happy life!

While scrolling through pages on social media, I felt a rush of guilt for spending so much time on it and so I put my phone away. That was one of the million instances when I’ve done that. We look for comfort in the pictures and videos on the internet, but all we are left with is a subtle feeling of hollowness inside.

So, why most of us spend hours on the internet when it eventually doesn’t make us happy? For the information it gives — no, for making social connections- for hours? no! It’s actually the human nature that is at play.

We are programmed to look for comfort and gratification. Social media provides that instantly and without it we feel empty. It’s actually show of an underlying discomfort in self - reflection. All the distractions if taken away, will make it so difficult for us to enjoy just the nature or the moment.

Meditation comes as the answer to equip us with tools to be calm and positive without using any external gadget. The gadget is inside our body. It involves observing our feelings as they develop. It’s tough to do initially, but with practice we’ll notice that it’s the least demanding activity.

Moreover, meditation is also the key to a contented life. Researches done around the world have shown decreased levels of stress and improved quality of life in people who meditate on regular basis. One such research was done in University of Wisconsin by a neuroscientist, Richard Davidson.

He performed EEG (electroencephalogram)scans on monks in his lab and the results were astounding. The Gamma waves shown in EEG, which are created when we get a feeling of contentment — like after completing a task or taking a bite of an apple, were way more prevalent than in non - meditating brains. Moreover, when the monks were asked to meditate on request, the gamma waves jumped up by 700 to 800 percent in a few seconds. This goes to show that meditation, if made an eminent part of our daily routines, can change brain’s functioning and create more happy feelings.

Personally speaking, meditation has improved my emotional regulation and state of mind during a day. I feel less out of body and more in tune with the surroundings and my internal feelings. We all must experience this simple act of self-reflection to cherish what it gives.

Thank You!