The Difference Between Meditation and Medication
Meditation and medication are two very different concepts… These two methods are used to cure various types of disorders, diseases, pains, and sufferings alike. Continue reading to discover the major differences and effectiveness of these two approaches to mental health. Although these words are incredibly similar with the only difference being the “t” and “c” in both of these words… they couldn’t be more different from one another.
Meditation
Meditation is the conscious process of calming the mind through innocence and effortlessness in wakeful concentration. It is a very natural process to partake in and can relieve everyday stress, as well as PTSD in more severe cases. Ultimately, with commitment and consistency meditation helps one to restore balance by removing bad habits, healing past traumas, and balancing mental functioning by training the mind. Meditation not only calms the mind but also cures people of many kinds of diseases, disorders and improves focus… also known as wakeful alertness. There are TONS of kinds of meditation to practice. Here are some below and their effects:
Pranayama - Excellent for immediate release of anxiety. Within just 60 seconds you can powerfully change your entire energetic field by changing the breath pattern. It has an almost immediate effect on the neurology and glandular system - both of which control hormone regulation in the body, thus giving you a boost of balance through a very neurochemical process.
Mantra - Mantra is excellent for those who sometimes feel shy, reserved, or insecure in their relationship to authentic expression. Vocal stimulation is very healing in this way. It’s also a powerful effect to create new patterns within the brain as well. Chanting utilizes sacred patterning. This means your tongue is hitting specific parts of your palate (roof of the mouth) that directly stimulate the pineal and pituitary gland in your brain. Again, these glands are responsible for hormone production and balance, thus giving you the euphoria of spiritual bliss, healing experiences, and a deep sense of peace and contentment.
There are many more styles of meditation and we cover all these modalities within
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Medication
With medication, one has to take physical medicine to improve their overall health. There is a place for modern medicine for chronic illnesses or for surgery. However, as a preventative measure, we always like to guide our clients into meditation.
Or, if something is chronic we work towards adjusting the lifestyle accordingly so one can live in balance without being dependent on medication. Additionally, with medication, it is affecting an individual at the level of the chemical level.
The problem here is that most, if not all, medications have side effects. The great thing about meditation is there there are only side benefits as we like to say :) Finally, with meditation, you are dropping into the Unified Field of consciousness. This means you are going to the Source code or the root of your makeup and matrix. As you do this you are balancing out the “Panchamahabhutas” (or better known as The Great 5 Elements in English).
When you balance the physiology at the level of the elemental dimension you have fewer side effects and instead increase awareness of what creates balance, what takes it away.
Acupuncture and Ayurveda are examples of professional services that work towards balancing out a client’s life from this perspective.
Meditation as Natural Cure
The process of meditation is purely natural and without any harm. It enhances calmness and mental peace to cure various types of disorders and improve overall health. In this procedure, one has to sit calmly and empty their brain by using different types of techniques. Opposite to meditation in medication people have to take pills that are made from different formulas and (usually) chemicals that are harsh on the body over time. Additionally, if one is looking for natural ways of healing, medicine cannot declare as a natural process of healing.
The Time It Takes To Be Cured
As these methods are different from each other, they both have different timings. Medication uses medicine that has an instant effect on health. The effectiveness of the medicine depends on the formula used in the making process. Meditation takes some time to cure the disorder and improve overall mental health. It is a better long-term solution, but it requires a client to be open and ready to adjust their lifestyle accordingly. Meditation is not fast as the medication, on average. This process is natural and it takes time for someone to recover completely. The time of curing depends on many factors such as the nature of the disease, the client’s willingness to change, etc.
Different Procedure
Meditation is the process of sitting calmly and using your mental focus. It takes time and experience of a person to take to advantage fully. Meaning, the results of this process are cumulative and get better with time. Some people use pranayama techniques while others use different types of mantras to practice meditation. In the medication process, people need no experience and practice to perform it. It can be done only by taking medicines to take to address your specific disorder. However, medication should never be a long-term solution (generally).
Effects
Meditation is to improve overall mental capacity and overall physical health. It gives you numerous benefits to both the body, mind, and emotions. Meditation is used for the overall improvement and betterment of health and mental focus. People take benefits from meditation by stabilizing emotions and improving more acute things like cardiovascular health. In medication, people use medicine to cure specific diseases or disorders. Every medicine has its own effect on health. It does not improve overall health. It is used only to improve specific physical health issues. Some medicine improves specific health issues so that meditation can be performed adequately.
Assistance & Guidance
For meditation purposes, it is highly suggested to work with someone who is trained and certified in yoga or meditation.
The best approach to getting results, with anything in life, but especially with meditation - is to commit. Stay steady on the path and you will see the results. Consistent practice will make you an expert in meditation. However, with medication, individuals need proper guidance and authentic information about the medicine. No one can take medicine without the prescription of an expert doctor. Only an authorized person can suggest medicine for any specific disease or disorder. If any person takes medicine without the counseling of a doctor that has the potential to do more harm than good.
Meditation as Medication
A research study was conducted by Segal and his team in Canada to see the effect of meditation to cure depression. The team took 40% of the patients from the observation center who were taking medicine to help them cure their depression. Segal and his team divided the patients into three groups. One was advised to continue medication as prescribed by the doctors. One group was replaced with meditation instead of medication and the third group was replaced with placebo treatment.
This treatment was adopted by the volunteers for 18 months. The result was amazing. The group with the medication was improved by 40%. The group with the meditation practices was improved by 38%. And the group with the placebo improved 60%. Apparently, the effects of meditation and medication were quite similar. This shows the effectiveness of the meditation process for healing purposes. It can be declared a healthy and natural process of healing from meditation instead of medication.
Best Practices for Meditation Purpose
Deep Breath Meditation
Like we said earlier, the best way to relax the mind quickly is through some kind of pranayama technique. While you can take a couple of deep breaths on your own, what we have found to be incredibly helpful is to practice specific breath techniques that have come far from the ancient past… from the yogis and Rishis (seekers) who were devoted and determined to find solutions to help us heal and keep us connected to Source. Luckily, we teach TONS of breath meditations within Yoga Stars - come join us and practice today!
Mindfulness Walk
Most of the time when we go out for a walk our mind is fixated on the random thoughts and tasks we have to do. Instead of random thoughts, you can shift your focus to be more present. Walk more slowly. There is no need to rush. Enjoy yourself. Enjoy the walk. Take in the pleasures of the smells and sights. Enjoy your journey. Focus on the flowers and the walking path. Notice the insects crawling on the sidewalk or road… This will totally change your perspective of the mind. You will be able to focus on the present moment. Pair this with some long slow deep breathing and you have a recipe for success!
New research and experts claim meditation as the best practice to cure stress and other mental disorders. It does not only cure mental disorders but improve overall physical health and body energy. Experts have even proved now that meditation as an anti-aging agent, reducing aging up to 15-20 years!
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