Meditation & Mental Health

“It is observed that constant reinforcement of happy thoughts is good for the well-being of both mental and physical health” (Jamil et al., 2023).

Meditation is a practice used to focus on being truly present, and promotes relaxation and calmness. Often times in life we are go go go, and we forget to stop, and reflect on the present moment, and allow ourselves to just BE. “Meditation is a practice that involves focusing or clearing your mind using a combination of mental and physical techniques” (Cleveland Clinic, 2022).
The aspects of mental health influenced by meditation can include:
(Jamil et al., 2023)

There is no right or wrong way to meditate! Some common forms of mediation can include:
• Body-centered meditation: This is sometimes called self-scanning. This form involves focusing on the physical sensations you can feel throughout your body.
• Contemplation: This form involves “purposeful and deep thinking about a subject, where the mind is allowed to flow freely within the confines of the subject (Insight Timer, n.d.).
• Emotion-centered meditation: This kind of meditation has you focus on a specific emotion. For example, focusing on what makes you happy in your life.
• Mantra meditation: This kind of meditation involves repeating (either aloud or in your head) and focusing on a specific phrase or sound.
• Meditation with movement: This type of meditation can involve focusing on breathing, holding your breath or performing specific body movements.
• Mindfulness meditation: This form of meditation is about staying aware of what’s happening at the moment rather than letting your mind wander and worrying about the past or future. It can also involve a similar approach as body-centered meditation, using what you feel throughout your body as a foundation for your awareness of the world around you.
• Visual-based meditation: This kind of meditation involves focusing on something you can see (either with your eyes or by concentrating on a mental image).
Some benefits of meditation may include:
• Decreased symptoms of anxiety, depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
• Improved ability to think, concentrate and solve problems.
• Better ability to adapt to and overcome emotional problems.

Try a Meditation app!
• Calm
• Insight Timer
• Headspace
• Breethe

References:
Cleveland Clinic. (2022, May 22). Meditation: What it is, benefits & types. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/17906-meditation.
Insight Timer. (n.d.). Contemplation meditation. Insight Timer. Retrieved June 6, 2025, from https://insighttimer.com/guided-meditations/browse/contemplationmeditation.
Jamil A, Gutlapalli SD, Ali M, Oble MJP, Sonia SN, George S, Shahi SR, Ali Z, Abaza A, Mohammed L. Meditation and Its Mental and Physical Health Benefits in 2023. Cureus. 2023 Jun 19;15(6):e40650. doi: 10.7759/cureus.40650. PMID: 37476142; PMCID: PMC10355843.