It’s just staying quiet and breathing deep after all. But why do people continuously stress on the need to practice meditation? 

We juggle astounding amount of stress related to work, family and personal relationships, especially in the cities. Sometimes, giving in to anxiety, episodes of sadness and    in worse situations – depression, is almost a natural instinct. We are people after all, nothing vexes us than failed expectations. That’s where mediation comes to rescue.    

Studies have shown that meditation activates the usually dormant Default Mode Network in your brain, because that’s when you are at rest and aren’t focusing on the outside world. This has been found to improve memory and self-awareness. Along with this, it also causes the pituitary gland to secrete endorphins that help elevate mood and bring a calming effect on the whole body.      

So why isn’t everyone doing it already? Maybe they’re too busy to stay still for a fraction of their day. Or maybe it’s the stereotyping game that places people who meditate to be an ascetic or the religious type. There’s nothing to worry about when someone says that they meditate. By doing so, they do not become a totally different person. In fact, it’s all about training your brain to be aware and get a healthy perspective of things. You’re learning to analyze the world and people without any judgement. If anything, meditation makes people more empathetic and patient about other’s problems and their own. Eventually, this makes them better problem solvers and strengthens their ability to face the real world.

There’s an euphoric pleasure in escapism. Hermann Hesse in his book Siddhartha, casually explains meditation as “the short escape of the agony of being a self.” Except, you’re not merely escaping, but returning with a lot of heavy armor to face the real world. So why not sometimes relax and say ‘Ommmmm’ like you’re finally doing something real to face your issues?