Meditation

When the Fight-or-Flight Response is initiated, hormones and chemicals are released and rush through our bodies like a tsunami, giving us ultimate power and muscle strength. 

Do Increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, attitude of resistance, anxiety, chronic fatigue syndrome depression, joint pain and significant increase in stress related illness sound familiar?
            These are just to name a few problems that can show up within our body when we experience fight-or-flight in both short term and long term situations.

The fight-or-flight response can be triggered by both real and imaginary threats. This response occurs in the presence of something that is terrifying, either mentally or physically. The response is triggered by the release of hormones that prepare your body to either stay and deal with a threat or to run away to safety.

One of the main trigger points is the brain. A persons brain can also determine the danger level and the treat that is near before we ourselves even realise.  This happens with the signalling of the physiological reaction. Meaning that we can act before we are even able to think.

The energy within the body builds up, so we can cope with the threat we are under by fighting or fleeing from it. The Mind moves into survival mode which means it becomes impossible to think clearly. This means within seconds the body is full of energy that potentially can assist us to deal with the perceived threat, either by fighting it or fleeing from it.

Once the threat is gone and even dealt with, it can take between 20 to 60 minutes for the body to return to its pre-arousal levels

The fight-or-flight response plays a critical role in how we deal with stress and danger in our environment. When we are under threat, the response prepares the body to either fight or flee.

Our bodies are designed to go back to normal function through the relaxation response, however with today’s life styles this often does not happen like it should and we can stay in the fight or flight state for longer time periods which then causes damage to the body.

 A stress response can sometimes be the result of mental or emotional disorders including post-traumatic stress disorder.

When prolonged activation of the stress response occurs it can cause long term negative physiological damage.

The good news is that through meditation and other relaxation tools we can learn to recognise when we are going into fight or flight earlier to activate the relaxation response sooner. Which will than lead to less stress mentally and physically on the body.

This will result in being able to sleep better, think more clearly, lower blood pressure, less muscle tension. 

Meditation has been around long long before we were. Through written texts and drawings it’s believed to be dated back 5,000 years ago. However now is becoming a lot more common and well known.

Meditation originated in Eastern wellness traditions, such as Ayurvedic practices in India.

Meditation is an ancient wellness practice that focuses on training awareness, attention, and compassion. Meditation can reduce stress and anxiety, improve focus and concentration, and increase feelings of calm and relaxation. 

Meditation is achievable for anyone, and it's easy to  practice and to  pick up — however it takes practice and consistency to feel the benefits.

The body and mind is seen as one system and Body mind research has found that mediation can significantly reduce stress responses. As meditation counteracts the effects of stress and fight or flight response.

When in meditation brain waves move through different stages and when mostly in Alpha waves the autonomic nervous system goes into a calming state. Theta brain waves will assist to open the third eye and assist enlightenment and wisdom through meditation. These waves can help you go into a deep state of relaxation.

Peace is one of the reasons people chose to meditate as well as to bring serenity into their lives, to heal, to connect with the higher self or assist with mental and physical well-being.

Ideally meditation should be done the same time every day, some people do between 20/60 mins. However when you are first taking on this practice 10/15 mins as a good achievement, and if you struggle with that aim for 3/5 min as that is better than not meditating at all.

Research has found that meditation can have many health benefits, such as: 
-Better focus and concentration and clarity
-Improve self-esteem and self-awareness
-Reduce stress
-Help manage anxiety or depression
-Fight addiction
-Control pain
-Promote altruistic behaviour
-Become more calm and peacefulness
-Improved physical, mental and emotional wellbeing
-Better sleep 
-Improved energy
-Assistants in treatment of illness and disease
-Lowers heart rate
-Reduces blood pressure 
-Encouraged cell regeneration
-Developing the immune system 
…just to name a few.

DIFFERENT STYLES OF MEDITATION 
There is a wide variety of techniques available to experience meditation and also techniques can differ in cultures. 

What suits one person may not suit another so it is important to find a technique that resonates and aligns with you. On a broad spectrum some techniques allow free flow of thoughts and observation of brain function and thoughts. Concentrative is to bring focus into thoughts and others are no thought at all.

Styles of meditation include: 

Deep muscle relaxation 
This is about tensing muscles and then completely releasing the tension that we are holding onto.
Deep muscle relaxation helps us to relax, quieten the mind and regulate breathing. This technique brings us good awareness of how we hold onto stress in our body.

Mantra meditation
This is a conscious repetition of a word or sound that is present in the conscious mind while in the minds state of being. 

Zen 
This is all about being in the present moment, in the here and now. This is its simplest and purist form.
By being in the moment we are calmer, more peaceful and more ourselves and what is right for us.
By observing our senses of sound, smell and feel it helps us to be in Zen meditation and in the moment – this can simply be done in the shower.

Chakra
This is bringing awareness to any chakras that are out of alignment or need healing. We scan the body from head to toe and see the colours glowing or healing via vibration or light. There are many different ways of doing this form of mediation.
chakras represent higher level of energy and manifestation  and allow us to become more aware if ourselves and body on a conscious level.

Concentrative
This requires concentration on just one particular object and this will clear the mind and focus the mind on that one thing.

Mindfulness 
This is where we are aware of our surroundings yet being aware of our inner state also. It’s about focusing our attentions and thoughts, actions on the present moment and are able to observe our thoughts- this can be achieved while eating and taking in and observing every mouthful.

Breathwork
Breathwork provides a strong connection for the mind while breathing and the connection the breath has to the body.  In this we bring awareness to the direct sensation and function of the chest, diaphragm, stomach, lower ribs and back. By breathing fully and deeply is means that more oxygen is inhaled and more carbon dioxide is released.
Conscious connected breathing, breakthrough breathwork, radiance breathwork, butterfly breathing, yoga and tai chi are all different forms of breathwork.

When we learn how to control our thinking and how to take charge of the unconscious belief systems we may have inherited, we are empowered to move outside of fear and develop the habit of being in the relaxation response where, science has proven, the chemical changes which occur in one’s body can reverse illness and significantly contribute to maintaining a healthy body and a healthy mind. Meditation is the simplest, fastest and most effective way of achieving this. 

References:
https://mindworks.org/blog/history-origins-of-meditation/