Meditation: The Elixir for All Our Mental Ailments?

Sometimes I feel like the stereotype of the snake oil salesperson as I tout the benefits of meditation. It reduces anxiety, depression and physical pain. It increases concentration and creativity. With regular practice, relationships and self-regulation of intense emotions are improved. Even memory gets a boost. It would seem that there really isn't a difficulty that can't be helped with meditation.

Unlike snake oil, though, meditation has plenty of research to support benefit claims. The biggest challenge is this: you have to do it. When people tell me that they can't meditate, their reasons are usually one of these: "My mind is too busy," or, "I can't sit still." If you're one of these folks, I have a few prescriptions for you to try.

For those with busy minds:

Yes, our minds are very busy. The brain's job is to think, think and think. However, we tend to over-utilize the analytic function. When our minds are overstimulated, thoughts can become repetitive, like the proverbial broken record. Try one or two of these solutions: (MORE)

Source: Huffington Post