Meditation means “to engage in mental exercise for the purpose of reaching a heightened level of spiritual awareness” (Merriam-webster.com). It means to look inwardly while being still physically and with such reach a state of calmness. Various cultures and religions have engaged in different forms of mediation over the years, recognizing its importance in benefitting the lives of the people who practice it.

Many positive effects of meditation have been researched through a variety of distinct studies. Some of these include lowering stress, reducing depression risk among teenagers and even helping with grades. With the winter coming, it can also assist in coping with the cold (huffingtonpost.com).

It has been used in many religions in different forms, such as Buddhism and Sufism for example. The simple idea of reflecting inwardly is an aspect of different belief systems. That does not mean, however, that meditation is a purely religious phenomenon, for it may be performed with secular intentions as well.

One of the components of meditation is compassion, and its growth amongst those who engage in it. According to the Association for Psychological Science (APS), the abovementioned practice is one that helps to train people in this sense of empathy and benevolence. The latter itself is thought by some to be a natural instinct, but still one that needs cultivation to flourish (psychologicalscience.org).

Moreover, in a study lead by Northeastern psychology professor David DeSteno and graduate student Paul Cordon, it was shown that “even a brief period of med¬i¬ta¬tion training is indeed enough to boost one’s com¬pas¬sion toward a suf¬fering stranger more than five¬fold” (northeastern.edu).

In addition, meditation may even aid individuals in sleeping better. It helps to forego stress and focus in on the moment, without thought to the future and all that it may hold. In such a sense, by being able to let go of stress and tension, sleep may come easily to the person struggling to catch a few hours of well-needed rest (psychologytoday.com).

This practice of looking inwardly and focusing on only the present moment is one seemingly filled with advantage. From sleeping better, to becoming a more compassionate human being, the range of positive effects is wide. It has been a method many have chosen to engage in over the years, and continue to do so.