As the speed of life increases and we lead ever busier lives so there is a tendency to forget about our physical and mental health so that today we are all suffering from stress to some degree. It is no surprise therefore that we find ourselves turning more and more to ancient practice of meditation.

Because of its long history of effectiveness, meditation today is being carried out not merely to calm the mind and reduce stress but also to deal with a widening range of physical conditions.

Indeed there are numerous physical benefits to be derived from meditation which lowers the heart rate and therefore pressure on the heart, lowers levels of the hormone cortisol and other body chemicals which are linked to stress and reduces free radicals in the body so further helping to reduce blood pressure. Meditation also increases the oxygen flow through the lungs to help with breathing and can even raise levels of DHEA to help slow aging.

As far as its psychological benefits, meditation lowers anxiety and irritability and increases your memory and thus your ability to learn. As a consequence, it also creates a positive outlook on life providing you with a feeling of youthfulness and rejuvenation.

Some other important benefits of meditation exercises include:

* Producing a general relaxation of not just the mind and body but also of your very spirit.

* Helping with the healing of various illnesses for which there is a connection between the physical illness and the emotional state of the sufferer.

* Affecting an opening into the ‘inner self’ which released our natural creativity.

* Providing an enhancement to our natural self-confidence leading to a more dominant and stronger will power.

* Generating an increase in energy which make it easier to face the strains of daily life.

* Creating a greater ability to deal with several vices and addictions ranging from alcohol and tobacco to narcotics.

And so the list goes on.

However, like anything else meditation can be a powerful force for good if it is used correctly but it can also be detrimental to your health if it is not used properly. The secret therefore is to understand precisely what guided meditation can do and to learn the art of meditation before you add daily meditation into your normal pattern of life.