Though there are many types of meditation, from mindful meditation to transcendental meditation, all of them seem to have benefits for the mind, body and soul. Here are some of the many benefits of meditation:

Stress Reduction

Meditation has been used and recommended in the world of alternative medicine for stress reduction. The act of clearing your mind or focusing your thoughts naturally results in less worry in your mind, thereby reducing harmful stress and its effects in your body.

Pain Reduction

Some studies have suggested that meditation can be useful for the reduction of pain of many types. Meditation has been shown to have an effect on pain in some clinical settings and is even used in some hospitals and clinics for this purpose as well as the other beneficial effects.

Relaxation

Meditation is excellent if one needs to relax. Whether from worry, fear or anxiety, or just plain nervousness, meditation has been clinically shown to alter brain waves and results in better relaxation overall.

Sleep

A calm mind and spirit, less pain, less stress, these things all result in better sleep. Many people meditate before going to bed, or even while in bed, which helps to relax them and ease the worries of the day.

Sense of Well Being

Meditation can have a profound effect on your body and mind. From a greater sense of well being to better creativity, self-awareness and compassion, meditation is simply great for your mind and spirit. Older, aging people are great candidates for trying meditation for this benefit alone.

Blood Pressure & Heart Rate

When you leave worrisome thoughts behind and concentrate on your breath, it is inevitable that your blood pressure and heart rate will go down. Many people who meditate experience better blood pressure just from the relaxation and stress reducing aspects. In addition, you consume less oxygen and your breathing slows.

More Benefits

Many people say they have experienced a myriad of other benefits from meditating regularly, including more self confidence, less headaches, better breathing, better control of appetite and weight, better performance in sports and physical activities, better concentration, enhanced intuition, better listening skills, more maturity, more wisdom, more loving relationships, greater perspective, less worry, more tolerance, better job satisfaction, less anger and negative thoughts, less aggressiveness, sense of calm, better ability to solve problems, better productivity, less bad habits and just overall a sense of joy and happiness.