This is a curated blog by a ULC Minister. As someone who has been practicing meditation for nearly 20 years, I can attest to the benefits of living a contemplative life. Meditation has helped me cultivate a greater sense of awareness and inner peace, as well as improve my overall well-being.
Living a contemplative life doesn’t necessarily mean becoming a monk or shutting yourself away from the world. Rather, it involves finding moments throughout your day to pause, reflect, and connect with yourself and the world around you. This can involve practices such as mindfulness meditation, journaling, or simply taking a walk in nature.
There is a growing body of research that supports the benefits of meditation and contemplative practices. Studies have shown that meditation can help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, as well as improve cognitive function and emotional regulation (Davidson, et al., 2003; Hölzel, et al., 2011; Tang, et al., 2015).
Moreover, living a contemplative life can help us cultivate a greater sense of compassion and empathy for others. By connecting with ourselves on a deeper level, we become more attuned to the needs and feelings of those around us, and are better able to respond with kindness and understanding.
In today’s fast-paced world, it can be easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of daily life. But by taking a few moments each day to cultivate mindfulness and reflection, we can create a more fulfilling and meaningful life for ourselves and those around us.
References:
Davidson, R. J., Kabat-Zinn, J., Schumacher, J., Rosenkranz, M., Muller, D., Santorelli, S. F., … & Sheridan, J. F. (2003). Alterations in brain and immune function produced by mindfulness meditation. Psychosomatic Medicine, 65(4), 564-570.
Hölzel, B. K., Carmody, J., Vangel, M., Congleton, C., Yerramsetti, S. M., Gard, T., & Lazar, S. W. (2011). Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, 191(1), 36-43.
Tang, Y. Y., Hölzel, B. K., & Posner, M. I. (2015). The neuroscience of mindfulness meditation. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 16(4), 213-225.
