Meditation is usually thought of with religious and spiritual connotations but doesn't have to be. It is a natural way to disperse anxiety and stress from your mind and body. You do not have to be Hindu or Buddhist on a spiritual quest, you just need the desire to reduce stress and achieve a more calm state of mind and body.

The goal is to reach a state of balance with your body, mind and spirit. First off you should find a nice, quiet place all to yourself. Get yourself comfortable, there are no rules for physical positioning in meditation but the lotus position is the most popular. The lotus position is just sitting relaxed with your legs crossed, your spine straight. Keeping your back straight is very important, it improves circulation and lets you take in deeper breathes which is also very important in achieving relaxation and a major part of meditation.

When you have found that nice, quiet place and are seated comfortably it is time to start your relaxation and calming breathing therapy. You can choose to be quiet or sing or hum as long as your mind is clear of all the outside stimuli.

To achieve a calm and relaxed state you must have all the parts of your body, even if you must do it mentally one by one, relax as you take in slow, deep breaths. These breaths are called cleansing breaths, they cleanse the body with oxygen and help you to clear your thoughts and mind. After that breathe normally, holding all exhales while counting to eight, and inhales to the count of four. This will keep your mind occupied and clear of other intruding thoughts.

You can use meditation as often as you like unlike chemical and synthetic medications there are no side effects to worry about. Your mind and body can even benefit with just a minute or two of meditation, but 20-30 minutes or so is recommended and the popular allotment of time to achieve long lasting results for your health.

Meditation has been proven in studies to aid in reducing heart rate, blood pressure and producing positive brain waves. It is an all natural technique to relieve stress as opposed to medication that can overall cause damage to your body in the long run.

Mediation is even used commonly in many hospitals to reduce stress of terminally ill patients or those with chronic illness, stress is a contributor to many health related issues. Dr. James Austin, a neurophysiologist, in a report that was later confirmed with brain imaging, that meditation does cause certain beneficial effects in brain circuitry.

Many studies and much research have confirmed that there is a direct link between good health and reducing stress. Meditation and breathing techniques cause changes in your body chemistry, blood pressure, metabolism and so much more.

You many just want to try what many health care experts and people like you all ready know, that meditation and proper breathing techniques are a great way to improve your overall health and state of mind.