Relaxation and Concentration as a Path to Self-Healing

Practicing meditation can help people relax the body and mind while enhancing focus. These effects are not only subjectively noticeable during meditation, but also scientifically validated. Since the 1960s, the medical community has studied physiological changes found in meditation practitioners. Dr. Herbert Benson of Harvard Medical School discovered that meditation induces a "relaxation response," resulting in significant physiological changes such as lowered blood pressure as well as slower metabolism, heartbeat, and breathing rates.

Meditation has been applied to stress-induced conditions, such as anxiety, arrhythmia, chronic pain, and insomnia. It can also alleviate feelings of hatred and depression. Psychiatric studies have shown that meditation can alter brain wave patterns. During meditation, alpha and theta waves – associated with restful and drowsy states – are more prevalent, calming the sympathetic nervous system and activating the parasympathetic nervous system. This not only helps rest the body and mind but also provides a buffer against external stressors.

In his book Meditative Concentration and Life (禪定與生活), Venerable Huimin (惠敏法師) noted that stress is a modern ailment that overstimulates the sympathetic nervous system, affecting adrenaline secretion and blood circulation. He explained that meditation, breath regulation, and contemplation benefit health. During meditation, hand temperature increases, while one's breathing becomes deeper and longer. The resulting increased oxygen intake and muscle relaxation reduce the activity of sympathetic nerves by half. Additionally, meditation can restore our immune system back to normal. Under stress, our sympathetic nerve stimulation can reduce immune cell activity by 40%. The medical community has recognized that meditation can relax the body and mind, thus restoring the immune system suppressed by stress.

Health is fundamental to all aspects of life. If we fall ill or even lose our lives due to work-related stress, everything else, including work efficiency, is compromised. By practicing deep breathing, relaxing our body and mind, and focusing on our breath, we can heal ourselves, and even prevent diseases. A healthy body and mind enable us to cultivate joy, as well as be productive in both work and life.




Related articles:

Chan Practice for a Happier Workplace

Efficiency and Speed vs. Relaxation and Concentration: Work Efficiently in a Relaxed Mood

Relaxation and Concentration as a Path to Self-Healing

Conflict and Competition vs. Cessation and Contemplation

Crises and Bottlenecks vs. Letting Go and Getting Motivated



Resource: Issue 271 of Humanity Magazine (March 2006), Dharma Drum Publishing Corporation
Translation: Ann (麗萍), Li Siang-ling (李祥苓)
Illustration: Li Siang-ling (李祥苓)
Editing: Keith Brown, Ann (麗萍)