160 Reasons to Meditate May Not Be Enough

A great article cites over 160 studies that demonstrates meditation's healing benefits.

Many find this hard to believe. If it was widely accepted, we'd be talking about meditation as much as we talk about sports teams, politics, T.V. shows, etc.

Is it because as Americans, we prefer the "magic bullet" approach? Just give me something to take away the pain - the faster the better - so I can get back to doing _______?

Education helps, but many of us don't seek it out. This makes us "low information" citizens, according to the media (although we're rarely at a loss for knowing many people's opinions on political issues*).

Illness tends to focus a person. I improved my health considerably when I got sick.

But that only lasted a while. I got better, time passed, and the desire to live a healthy life faded. For a while I opted for diets that were effective in losing weight but unhealthy overall.

Then I increased my health education. Now more of my Facebook feed is filled with healthy tips from reputable sources. Everything from the common sense stuff (hey, we all need to be reminded once in a while) to the more exotic.

But I still needed a nudge.

Then came the aging (aching?) body to the rescue. It told me loud and clear I couldn't do all the things I used to do and get the same effect. I had to stretch more before exercise, eat less to at least maintain my weight, eat better to avoid heartburn, gastrointestinal issues, artery-clogging, high blood pressure, and the list goes on.

There aren't enough magic bullets to instantly resolve all these challenges, and even when you try some, there are usually side effects.

But if we can set aside just a few minutes a day for meditation, or a little longer for meditation-in-motion (yoga) we can become one of these amazing people who live to be 103 with very little illness and more fulfillment than the average person?

Even if we didn't believe meditation could heal our body, isn't it worth trying for a few minutes a day to see? Why won't many of us give up just ten minutes of T.V.-watching to do this?

Unconsciously, I think it's because we're afraid of what we'll find once we still our mind. We're liable to meet are real self (Self), and we're not ready for that, perhaps because that would mean change. (Again, all of this is happening on a subconscious level.) 

More on this in another post. Please share your comments.

Late edit: It occurred to me that just doing yoga and meditation for any amount of time made me want to do it more, and it made me want to pursue even more relevant information for my health and well being. They're gifts that keep on giving.

* What would happen if we all replaced 3 opinions a day with 3 facts? Minds blown.