Benefits of Meditation and Mindfulness

Running Head: IMPORTANCE OF MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION 1
Benefits of Meditation and Mindfulness
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THE IMPORTANCE OF MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION 2
Benefits of Meditation and Mindfulness
Abstract
The central purpose of the study is to examine the empirical associations between
mindfulness and wellbeing. While attempting to establish empirically the self-regulatory nature
of mindfulness, we developed different approaches aimed at collecting responses from
participants on the links between mindfulness and meditation practices and stress and anxiety
reduction, cognitive responses, focus and life satisfaction. Throughout the study, mindfulness
was found to promote awareness which facilitates attentional focus to prompts emanating from
basic necessities therefore making an individual for regulating behavior in a manner that fulfills
such needs. Mindfulness has not only proved to be beneficial to psychotherapy clients but also to
therapists and medical practitioners who become more empathetic and compassionate in dealing
with their clients. Other advantages of mindfulness practices include higher levels information
processing speeds in addition boosting working memory and enhancing emotional reactivity.

THE IMPORTANCE OF MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION 3
Introduction
Literature Review and Arguments
Mindfulness is described as the psychological condition of awareness in conjugation with
the practices that promote this kind of awareness as well as the model of character trait and
information processing (American Psychological Association, 2012). Therefore, mindfulness is
not a trait but a state that might be enhanced by certain activities or practices such as meditation.
Researchers have theorized that mindfulness and meditation enhances metacognitive knowledge
in addition to the enhancement of attentional capacity through gained WM (working memory)
(Davis & Hayes, 2011). Cognitive gain contributes towards effective emotional regulation
theories. Mindfulness is thought to lower rumination through disengagement of cognitive tasks.
The practice of mindfulness has been evidenced to impart a powerful influence on a
person’s wellbeing, happiness and health as attested by medical and scientific evidence. It is a
practice and a process that evolves and deepens with time (Hölzel et al., 2011). Mindfulness
involves having observation of oneself without having criticism or compassionate. It allows an
individual to develop thought patterns that are negative and dismissing them hence having full
control of their life. Over time, the process of mindfulness causes long-term transforms in mood
wellbeing, and happiness. Scientific research has shown that mindfulness reduces depression and
positively affecting the underlying brain pattern, stress, daily anxiety, or irritability (American
Psychological Association, 2012). Meditation, on the other hand, involves controlling one’s
thoughts through the breathing process and allowing dismissal of negative thoughts and
entertaining of the positive thoughts. It forms some mental training encompassing complex
practices such as yoga, Qigong, Tai Chi and mindfulness meditation. Research has also shown

THE IMPORTANCE OF MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION 4
that regular meditation rarely makes one visit the hospital (Davis & Hayes, 2011). Therefore,
mindfulness increases creativity, improves memory and reaction times becomes faster.
In this study, we shall investigate the benefits associated with mindfulness meditation.
Many studies have concluded that mindfulness meditation has several businesses to individual’s
cognitive development and life satisfaction (Rosenzweig, Greeson, Reibel, Green, Jasser, &
Beasley, 2010). We shall be investigating the soundness of these claims in light of the
mindfulness practice. There are numerous benefits associated with mindfulness meditation
(Malinowski, 2013). Among them include: stress and rumination reduction, increases focus, and
supports the working memory, reduced emotional re-activity, high cognitive flexibility and
satisfaction of relationships. Mindfulness and meditation support positive effect, lower anxiety
and any negative effects (Hölzel et al., 2011). Additionally, meditation decreases the key
symptoms for chronic stress such as hypertension. They lower the effect of serious conditions
like cancer and chronic pains (Farb, Segal, & Anderson, 2012).
For the past recent years, mindfulness and meditation had gained tremendous popularity
in medical and psychotherapy fields (Langer & Ngnoumen, 2017). While it is deemed to have a
Buddhist orientation, the practice has in the past been applied in psychological counseling of
stressed clients by therapists and medical practitioners. The practice has had benefits such as
objectivity, increased flexibility, individual self-control, tolerance and equanimity, emotional
intelligence, enhanced concentration, mental wellness, and the capability of relating to one-self
and others with compassion. According to Langer and Ngnoumen (2017), mindfulness and
meditation tasks are the innovative methods that develop low stress, wellness for individuals and
self-regulation. These practices can be used as programs for contemporary interventions in
support of traditional methods through independent processes aimed at alleviating the society’s