Purification Of The Heart And Mind
If you sit still for just a moment, you will notice all of the thoughts and noises that clutter your mind. I challenge you to sit still for ten minutes a day and turn your focus on the thoughts and feelings that come and go. Focus on your lungs filling up with oxygen and pay attention to releasing all of the air from your lungs.
When we think of the word meditation, most peoples’ reactions are that they cannot do it because they simply cannot clear their minds. Let me let you in on a little secret- everyone can practice mindful mediation at any stage of their life. Since meditation is said to strengthen the mind, just like any muscle, it can be strengthened through intention and practice. Dated back hundreds of years, this art has been practiced globally- and for good reason. Though the benefits seem to be profound, modern scientists have only recently began examining the benefits of meditation on the brain. Thus far, scientific evidence suggests that the practice of being mindful has positive psychological and physical benefits. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) caused symptom relief associated with social anxiety, depression, rumination, and had a positive impact on self-esteem.
Balance Treatment Center offers intensive outpatient therapy, designed upon the foundation of mindfulness, in conjunction with cognitive therapy, to address the stressors that impede an individual’s growth. Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy combines cognitive therapy and mindfulness meditation to learn new ways of relating to the experiences of depression and anxiety. Using the tools of mindfulness based meditation, you can allow the thoughts and feelings to appear without reacting or fixating on the negative ones, thus breaking the vicious behavioral patterns that cause stress, depression, and anxiety. Thus far we can conclude that these techniques can be used to strengthen the mind and grow to our fullest potential. Though there is room for much research to be done, what we have discovered so far is promising.
