Catch the Balance: 10 Healing Effects of Meditation on Mind and Body
- Aşırı Düşünme
- Mar 11
- 9 min read
Meditation: A Path to Balance and Awareness in Your Life
Before we begin, it’s important to acknowledge that some of us may have preconceived notions about meditation. I certainly did. I don’t see meditation as a “new age” belief system or an alternative to other religions. Instead, I view it as a tool that helps us step away from the emotional chaos of the moment and transition into a more balanced, calm, and rational state of mind. That alone is reason enough to explore it. Personally, meditation has allowed me to discover an inner space I wasn’t aware of before. Now, my thoughts are more vivid, and I make decisions with greater awareness. Meditation has given me the ability to stay present, helping me evaluate the choices in my life more effectively.
However, don’t think of this as just a piece praising meditation. I’m talking about a way to calm your mind for your emotions, judgments, memories of the past, future anxieties, regrets, and even those annoying song lyrics stuck in your head. I ask you to give meditation a chance as a tool to bring peace to your mind.
What is Meditation?
What comes to mind when you think of meditation? Probably an image of a yogi in orange robes, sitting cross-legged by the Ganges River, meditating to the sound of chants. Homeless and penniless, they seem to share this as a common trait. So why don’t these people worry about their circumstances, their environment, or their uncertain futures? Why do they spend most of their days meditating? Because they believe meditation is a transformative process. They see it as a path from limitations to boundlessness, from dependency to independence, from hatred to love.
Meditation changes our thoughts, perspectives, decision-making abilities, and stress management. It helps us let go of fear and anxiety. In short, life, existence, the universe, or energy—choose whichever resonates with you. But the universe, of which we are a part, handles everything on its own. All we need to do is align ourselves with it. This isn’t contrary to our bodies. The cells in our bodies move effortlessly. Similarly, our tissues and organs exist without effort or resistance.
Yet, in our daily lives, we rarely live in harmony with ourselves or others. As a society, we are in constant conflict—with women, men, animals, nature, and the planet. We inflict violence on our families at home, vandalize, and carry fear and anger into the streets. We harm animals sleeping on the side of the road, uproot trees, and make the world a worse place every day. And we often do these things without thinking. “Well, everyone else is doing it,” or “Am I supposed to save the world?” we tell ourselves.
However, when we choose to be calm and present, we achieve harmony between mind and body—balance. If such moments can exist effortlessly in our lives, we can consciously create more of them. In life, we rarely have the chance to focus on anything other than our own awareness. Often, the problems we won’t care about a month from now are caused by our own awareness and the awareness shaped by society’s demands.
Where Do Our Thoughts Come From?
Our brain is where our thoughts originate. Everyone agrees on that. But some studies might surprise us. For example, an adult has had excessive fluid buildup in their brain since infancy, pressing on it. Yet, this person shows no mental issues detectable by themselves or others. So, do all these thoughts come from somewhere else? Do our thoughts operate like a “cloud system”? Could our brain be like a computer that translates a code into a form we can understand and reflects it?
Theoretical physicist David Deutsch says that throughout history, the universe has been a battlefield, and ancient societies believed this battle was always between good and evil. People also fought this battle within themselves. A Native American teaching says, “There are two wolves inside a person: one represents good, the other evil. Which one is stronger? The one you feed.” This saying symbolizes the struggle between good and evil within us. It shows how our actions depend on which side we consciously choose to nurture.
If we leave the past aside, we see the same struggle today through nature. On one side, there’s life trying to survive; on the other, a worsening dump, global warming, diseases, disasters, and the climate crisis.
The Power of Consciousness
People cannot achieve what they don’t think about. What they think manifests outwardly. In The Matrix, the “Woman in the Red Dress” is a program created to show Neo that the Matrix is a simulation. This character is seen the same way by everyone. However, by the nature of the Matrix, everything in the simulation (people, objects, events) interacts with the subconscious and perception of the individual. Therefore, the Woman in the Red Dress being perceived as “sexy” stems from the collective subconscious and societal gender norms.
In other words, everything we believe exists outside is actually our internal thoughts. Our level of perception, emotions, and expectations shape these thoughts. Understanding how consciousness works is crucial here. If we understand how consciousness operates and how to control it better, we can change and organize our environment and lives accordingly. As the old saying goes, “Think good, and good will happen,” or “Don’t speak of evil.” We all meet at the same point eventually.
The Benefits of Meditation
Meditation supports both mental and physical health, helping us lead happier and more balanced lives. Here are 10 benefits of meditation that increase happiness:
Reduces Stress: Meditation lowers cortisol levels, the stress hormone. It calms the mind, making it easier to handle daily stress.
Increases Awareness: Meditation improves our ability to stay present. It helps us notice small joys in daily life.
Balances Emotions: Meditation helps us better understand and manage our emotions. It makes it easier to cope with negative emotions.
Improves Focus and Concentration: Meditation trains the mind, reducing distractions. It makes us more productive in work and personal life.
Enhances Self-Compassion and Self-Acceptance: Meditation helps us be kinder to ourselves. It improves our ability to accept ourselves as we are.
Improves Sleep Quality: Meditation calms the mind, making it easier to fall asleep. It leads to deeper, more restful sleep.
Strengthens Relationships: Meditation increases empathy and compassion. It helps us be more understanding and patient in relationships.
Reduces Negative Thoughts: Meditation helps us recognize negative thought patterns. It transforms these thoughts, giving us a more positive outlook.
Supports Physical Health: Meditation boosts the immune system and lowers blood pressure. It improves overall health, making us feel more energetic.
Brings Inner Peace and Happiness: Meditation helps us discover inner peace. It allows us to find happiness within, independent of external conditions.
Meditation and Inner Balance
Meditation helps integrate all the personalities we adopt in different environments—home, work, family, friends—into a harmonious whole. You might have a normal job, family, and social life. You’ve created the necessary conditions for yourself and your life. But on social media, some people, celebrities, live lives very different from ours—or at least they portray it that way. This leads to the question: “Why?” Why can’t I go on that vacation? Why am I not like them? Why can’t I be as perfect as them? Why? Why? Why?
We search for the wealth, happiness, or beauty we hope to achieve one day. But how can we be whole when we carry so much judgment, anxiety, comparison, and intense emotions within us? Only by letting go of these habits and calming down can we bring together the fragmented but valuable parts of ourselves.
Every time we let the fragmented part of us win, we take a step away from our goals and what’s good for us. The fragmented part often resists things that would make us better. It’s like a toxic relationship. It doesn’t want us to break free and become independent. It needs us to depend on it. It wants to be the safe harbor we always return to. Then it whispers, “I knew you weren’t ready for this. Good thing I’m here for you.”
Everything we’ve experienced in the past, every decision we’ve made, our family’s teachings, and our beliefs have brought us to where we are today. If you’re happy with where you are now, everything is fine. But if you feel uneasy, a sense of not belonging, being lost, or straying from your purpose, you may need to calmly reflect on the decisions you’ve made in the past and those you’ll make in the future.
The Power of Consciousness
We must tirelessly work to control and train our consciousness, our existence, and the energy our thoughts emit. But does consciousness really exist? How can we become aware of it?
In 1973, a woman in Texas saw yellow bubbles arranged in rings in her backyard, known as “fairy rings.” Biologists later identified them as organisms dating back 1 billion years, with 720 sexes, capable of dividing into different organisms and recombining. With 900 species within them, these organisms can move as single-celled organisms or in large communities, taking on a gelatinous, slimy appearance during part of their life cycle.
Researchers found that these slime molds can solve problems. They can avoid harmful substances and remember what awaits them a year ahead. When faced with light and drought, which destroy them, they hibernate for several years and then return to life.
This is evidence of consciousness and its ability to take care of itself. Consciousness organizes itself and sustains life. We see that consciousness is alive and that life is set in motion by consciousness.
Consciousness knows whether the decisions you make are good or bad for you and communicates this through chemical signals. These signals fall into two categories:
Problem Signals: Muscle pain, back pain, nausea, drowsiness, numbness, pain, or various physical discomforts.
Wellness Indicators: Feeling energetic, good sleep, physical flexibility, absence of digestive issues, glowing skin, radiant eyes, and dynamism.
If your emotions lean more toward the good or bad, you’ll naturally experience the events and outcomes they bring at a higher rate.
Ways to Find Inner Balance Through Meditation
Finding inner balance isn’t just about meditation. Alongside it, you can:
Stay Present: Notice and focus on small moments in daily life.
Take Nature Walks: Connect with nature, breathe fresh air, and relax your mind.
Engage in Creative Activities: Paint, write, or make music—anything creative.
Allow Gentle Thoughts: Observe your thoughts without forcing them, letting them flow.
Letting Go of Sticky Experiences
No one can predict which feelings will stick and which will fade or leave deeper marks. Sometimes, our memory isn’t reliable, especially with childhood memories. For example, I have two memories: one about wanting to be alone, the other about being lost and forgotten. But my family says neither happened.
Generally, negative emotions tend to stick more than positive ones. Statements like “I’m very smart, I’m beautiful, I’m compassionate” are less sticky than “I’m very stupid, I’ve always been ugly, I’ve always been jealous.” Negative statements are more powerful and sticky. When we hear them from a young age, they can turn into beliefs. As the saying goes, “Say something forty times, and it becomes true.”
We believe what’s repeated often.
We believe what we hear for the first time.
We believe it more if it comes from someone we trust.
We believe it if we lack awareness or confidence in the opposite.
I recently read something that stuck with me: “In the first few hours after a baby’s birth, especially negative statements should not be said to the child, as they may internalize these statements for the rest of their life.” Based on this, I know some adults who struggle with insecurities about their beauty, intelligence, or appearance. I realized they had similar stories from their infancy. These negative statements were made by the people closest to them, the first people they saw when they opened their eyes to the world. In adulthood, these statements are normalized and told as if they’re funny stories. No matter how much we deny it, these negative statements become sticky memories that hold them back.
But just because your parents have negative thoughts about you doesn’t mean you have to believe or trust them. You are not the person their thoughts and worldview see. No one understands or interprets you better than you do. In this world, there’s only one you, and you are perfect. No one can say otherwise! So, don’t let any secondhand thoughts about you influence or direct your existence.
Conclusion: Finding Inner Peace Through Meditation
Meditation is one of the most effective ways to bring balance and awareness into your life. It reduces stress, balances emotions, improves focus, and helps you discover inner peace. By meditating regularly, you can train your mind and body, leading to a happier and more balanced life. Remember, meditation is a process, and taking small steps every day is key.
Take one step every day to discover your inner peace and make your life more meaningful. Meditation is one of the most powerful tools to guide you on this journey.
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