Effect of Meditation on Health-An Analytic study of different techniques of meditation

During the 20th Century, man made a lot of scientific and technological development in almost all walks of life. This resulted in material progress. Economic activities increased and man became economically sound at least in the developed countries. People got health awareness and better medical facilities. This helped them attain better physical health. But we are not sure that their mental health has improved. There are so many cases of mental ill-health in the developed world. Health has been an important aspect of life. If the people of a nation are healthy, they can work harder and make progress in every field of life. The nation will be healthy, strong and prosperous. On the other hand, if the citizens are not healthy, they won‟t be able to do so well, and it will result into a weak nation. Health includes both mental and physical faculties. If a man is physically strong but weak in mental health, he won‟t be able to do well in life. Physical health can be improved through balanced diet and exercise of the body. Mental health can be improved through healthy and constructive ideas and concentration. Positive thinking gives energy to the mind, whereas negative thinking drains it out. Economic activities have increased during the last fifty years. The gap between the have and have not has widened and a huge population lives below the poverty line. There is dearth of proper food, clothing, shelter and health care for millions of people. Though the number of doctors and hospitals has increased manifold in the developed countries, the health of people has not improved much. The number of psycho-somatic disorders has gone up a great deal in the developing and under-developed countries. There has been environmental degradation the world over during the last fifty years. It has become a crisis now, and it is drawing the attention of individuals, government and non- government agencies, nations and the UNO. There have been discussions at various levels including the UN Conferences to check and reduce the non-sustainable development the world over. But nothing substantial has taken place so far, especially in the direction of checking and reducing the non-sustainable development. No doubt, efforts are being made for sustainable development through the use of solar energy, water and wind energy. But this is not enough to counteract the increasing use of fossil-fuel energy, which is the main cause of emission of carbon dioxide, carbon-mono-oxide and methane. These poisonous gases damage the health of people the world over. There is hue and cry about global warming, green house gases and ozone depletion. Their harmful effects are now evident on a large scale throughout the world. In this age of non-sustainable industrialization, man is in the grip of mental tension. His modern life-style has added much to his worries. He has become too much dependent on so many inanimate things like air-conditioner, water cooler, washing machine, heater, private vehicle, etc. When one of them is out of order, it causes him anxiety. There is always tension in the life of the individual and the family due to one reason or the other. Modern life is full of uncertainties, fear, worries, frustration and tension. This obviously causes mental ill health. Man, in the modern situation, is the master of so many things and uses them for his satisfaction, but still he is not happy. His happiness seems to have disappeared. He is searching it in material possessions which can give him only physical comforts and not happiness. For happiness, he has to look within, for which he has no time and no interest. He is blindly after the accumulation of material wealth and thus a victim of five vices – anger, greed, attachment, lust and ego. He has to know and practice the ways and means to get over these vices so as to be able to look within for the search of peace and happiness. We have already seen that the modern man‟s life is full of cares, worries, anxiety, frustration, depression, fear, anger, jealousy, hatred, tension, etc. He suffers from mental ill health in one form or the other. He wants to be happy and peaceful and is often in search of the ways and means to satisfy his desire. He may go to some shrine and worship there. After some time, when he doesn‟t get internal peace, he shifts to some guru who gives him some mantra. He starts repeating it as per instructions of the guru. He continues this practice with the hope that he will achieve real peace and happiness. He doesn‟t get rid of any of the five vices and therefore, his position doesn‟t go under any positive change. His efforts continue till he has learnt the proper method of meditation. This study aims at finding out and suggesting the best technique of meditation. OBJECTIVES To study about need for meditation To explain various techniques of meditation To make an analysis of these techniques To conclude the findings v. To suggest the best technique of meditation