The earliest research findings on meditation and its benefits were recorded down by Herbart Benson. In his study of the ‘relaxation response, he explored different types of meditation to know their impacts on human health. He set out to look into Transcendental Meditation before deviating to other areas in a bid to show how meditation contributes to physiological changes. 

 

Some of these changes included lowered heart rate, reduced oxygen intake, and reduced levels of lactate (keep in mind that higher levels of lactate are usually associated with anxiety). Therefore, you need to understand that all these findings show the great benefits derived by meditation, especially if you are struggling with stress-induced Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

 

IBS is a common chronic condition that can affect an individual as early as adolescence to become a lifelong illness. Symptoms include cramps, abdominal pain, constipation, and diarrhea. The IBS cases range from mild all the way to severe situations if no drastic measures are taken at the right time. 

 

The IBS is believed to originate from a genetic predisposition. The condition is triggered by gastrointestinal surgery,  gastrointestinal infection, or stress. Even though the illness can be treated by antispasmodic medications or drugs to suppress diarrhea and constipation, different forms of meditation are effective as well. 

 

Three Types of Meditation for Stress-Triggered IBS

Meditation comes in different forms and styles to benefit people in a number of ways. The good news is that these forms of meditation are available and more accessible. This means that anyone can explore those styles that suit them best. 

 

But the bottom line is, meditation is more about focusing and creating awareness of yourself and your surroundings. While some forms of meditation may have spiritual elements of consciousness, a blend of mindfulness meditation can work well for you if you are suffering from IBS. 

 

Below are three types of meditation that you can adopt to help you overcome stress-triggered IBS:

 

Body Scan Belly Calming Meditation

A body scan meditation plays a crucial role in reducing tension inside your body. Normally, your body unconsciously becomes tense, leading to stress which is detrimental to your wellbeing. In this case, body scan meditation comes into play to help you relax bit by bit. 

 

You need to know that there is a connection between your physical sensations and emotions. The two conditions can affect you in one way or the other even without you noticing anything. Body scan meditation will most likely help you create awareness of your body and help your mind stay conscious of your surroundings. 

 

With that in mind, you may choose the most appropriate time to perform body scan meditation. Maybe night time can be a good choice given that nothing will distract you from paying attention to the entire meditation process.

 

Mindful Eating Belly Calming Meditation

If you know you are struggling with stomach problems particularly the IBS, then you should turn to mindful eating. In essence, this form of meditation involves changing your eating habits. 

 

To make it clear for you, you need to slow down your eating while becoming mindful of your overall health. However, you can combine this style of meditation with the guidance on IBS from the National Institute for Health & Care Excellence to obtain better results. 

 

Loving Kindness Belly Calming Meditation

Self-compassion is one of the struggles you will undergo if you are suffering from IBS. The struggle leads to frustration, especially when you are trying to overcome the symptoms associated with this condition. 

 

The best way of managing your body better is by accepting your situation and not trying to run away from reality. To add on that, you can appreciate your symptoms so you may work towards an everlasting solution. This calls for the Loving Kindness meditation to help you relax and overcome frustration or negative self-talk. 

 

Through self-compassion, you may benefit even more and lead a fulfilling lifestyle. But you can only achieve this goal by taking the Loving Kindness style of meditation seriously. As a matter of fact, a gently repeated statement can work for you only if you are kind to yourself and those around you. 

 

Final Thought

Meditation is important to your physical and mental health. This technique of training your mind has been studied extensively to find its benefits towards human health. Through meditation, you can overcome IBS and lead a happy life just like any other person.

What are the Benefits of Meditation?

Meditation is gaining popularity among different groups of people all over the world. This habitual process of mind-training can help you redirect your thoughts and stay focused throughout. Most importantly, you can use it to create awareness of yourself as well as your surroundings. 

 

Most meditators believe that they can enhance their concentration and reduce stress through meditation process. Whether this is true or just an allegation, we are yet to find out. Nevertheless, this habitual mental process is beneficial to everyone in one way or the other. That being said, let’s look at some of the actual  benefits of indulging in meditation.

 

1. Meditation Reduces Stress

One of the reasons many people turn to meditation is to reduce their stress. Numerous studies show that meditation can significantly lower physical and mental stress levels. These different forms of stress are triggered by a hormone known as cortisol. This hormone is responsible for several harmful effects of stress among the affected people. 

 

Cortisol triggers the production of cytokines, which promote inflammation. If this chemical is released in your body, you will experience mental or physical stress. Possible side effects include lack of sleep, anxiety, increased blood pressure, depression, cloudy thinking, and tiredness. All these signs of stress call for immediate action and meditation seems to be the best remedy ever. 

 

For instance, mindfulness forms of meditation is known to decrease the effects of inflammation response that leads to stress. This should tell you that different types of meditation processes can lower stress levels including symptoms associated with stress-triggered medical disorders.

 

2. Meditation Promotes Emotional Health

Certain forms of meditations can help you improve your self-image, and provide you with a more positive outlook on life. This exciting observation is backed up by several studies conducted on more than 4000 individuals with stress issues. 

 

The outcome of this research showed that meditation can reduce depression drastically. In fact, researchers discovered that those who practiced meditation for several years experienced long term reduction in depression. 

 

Therefore, it is important to know that chemicals such as cytokines (inflammatory chemicals released due to stress) have a profound effect on an individual’s mood, leading to serious cases of depression. On the other hand, mindfulness meditation helps in positive thinking with optimism being the key factor here. These two cases give a clear indication that the process of meditation can promote the emotional well-being of a person.

 

3. Meditation Increases Self -Awareness

Many forms of meditation can help you achieve a stronger understanding of who you are. As a result, this will promote your self-esteem and bring out your best self. This is possible when you take your self-inquiry meditation seriously. 

Self-Inquiry form o

f meditation explicitly aims at developing a better understanding of yourself, including those around you. With time, you will learn how to handle different situations and how to relate with everyone within your circle of friends or family members.

Other forms of medication can teach you how to recognize harmful or self-defeating thoughts. Once you can identify such thoughts, you will be able to make a clear judgment of what might come next, depending on your actions. 

 

The main idea behind these forms of meditation is to achieve greater awareness of yourself. This can change your thought habits, leading to more constructive ideas in your life. Increasing self-awareness can enhance your self-esteem as well as reduce feelings of loneliness. Most importantly, meditation can cultivate more creative ways of solving any kind of problem you might come across in your life.

 

4. Meditation Prolongs Your Attention Span

Focused-attention meditation increases your strength and ability to endure your attention. You may attest to this fact by taking part in a mindfulness meditation activity to find out the outcome. Most likely, you will find out that this form of meditation improves your ability to pay attention and reorient your thoughts well. 

 

Furthermore, some of those who take part in meditation can stay focused on a particular task for a considerable length of time. This process also helps an individual to remember details of what they are doing better than those who don’t practice meditation. 

 

This is due to the fact that meditation can reverse some patterns in your brain that contribute to worrying, poor attention, and mind-wandering. With that in mind, you may take at least four days a week to meditate, in order to lengthen your attention span.

 

5. Meditation Can Reduce Memory Loss Among the Elderly

Regardless of your age, you may need clear thinking and the ability to stay attentive. These two factors can have a positive impact on your memory. To achieve this feat, you may take part in a form of meditation known as Kirtan Kriya. This method of meditation combines a chant or mantra that compels you to make repetitive motions of your fingers in a bid to focus your thoughts. As a result, you will have the ability to carry out memory tasks involving multiple tasks perfectly. 

 

A review of several studies on this subject matter reveal that multiple meditation techniques improve your memory, increase attention and enhance mental quickness among the elderly. The same case is true when it comes to patients with dementia. Meditation can help such people to improve their memory and manage stress. 

 

Therefore, regular meditation can increase mental clarity and reduce memory loss. Such benefits are the main reason why meditation is encouraged to fight age-related dementia in affected people.

 

Conclusion

The benefits of meditation are many, and we cannot exhaust them fully in a single text. However, the best way of understanding and reaping these great benefits is by participating in meditation. Luckily, anyone can meditate to improve their mental capability and emotional health. Also, those meditating may perform their meditation from any place of their convenience without the need for special equipment, facility or memberships. Alternatively, they can join available support groups to get some motivation and learn new skills. After all, this process involves different styles and techniques with each requiring different strengths for different benefits. With that in mind, you may try out any meditation style that suits your goals and see how things unfold in your life.