Our day-to-day existence is filled with problems. Every time you solve one, a new one springs up. Pressures of life are so great that they affect you physically and mentally. It’s no wonder you find people undergoing tremendous stresses and strains.
You may be struggling financially, trying to make ends meet. A day finally comes when you get a raise, only to find your car has broken down, and the extra money must go for repairs or for new car payments. When we settle that problem, someone in our family may fall ill. Along with that, we may find that we have a problem in our relationship with one of our co-workers. While that is being straightened out, our roof suddenly begins to leak and we need repairs. After a while, we begin to wonder if there will be a time in life when we can be free of problems. We may think we alone have been singled out for misfortune. But if we ask those around us, we find that everyone’s life is also filled with difficulties. It seems there is no end to problems.
We find that people undergo anxiety, fear, depression, and phobias. The offices of psychiatrists, psychologists, and therapists are filled with normal, everyday people who cannot cope with life’s struggles. They are unable to deal with their problems. They live in fear of economic disaster. They are trying to handle broken marriages and broken h o m e s . O t h e r s have anxiety about the loneliness that may come with the loss of a loved one. Some are so disappointed in life they see no hope for the future.
Stresses and tensions do not just affect our minds and emotions. Research has shown a connection between our mind a n d o u r b o d y. Our mental state can cause stress-related illnesses. Studies have shown that when we are angry or emotionally upset, hormones are released in our body that prepares it for “fight or flight.” Since the norms in our society dictate that we deal with problems calmly and rationally, we tend not to “fight or take flight” but to face the situation, keeping our feelings bottled up inside.
The result is that the hormones act on our physical body, causing stress-related diseases such as high blood pressure, heart disease, breathing problems, digestive disorders, headaches, muscle pain, skin rashes, and other related problems. The solution is not necessarily to let out our anger in the form of fighting back or running away, for those reactions can create still more problems for us in our relationships. We need to find some acceptable way to prevent the mental, emotional, and physical effects of stress that are making us ill.
People are turning to meditation as a solution for the emotional and mental strains of life. Meditation has numerous benefits for our physical and mental well-being. It is safe, effective, and does not cost anything. Once we learn how to meditate, we carry within us a ready remedy that we can use at any time and place.
The meditation process helps us on two levels. First, it helps us by bringing about physical relaxation. Second, it puts us in a state where we are absorbed in an enjoyable, blissful experience, and we become oblivious to the problems of the outer world.
Through meditation, we can learn the art of life which can help us overcome life’s stresses and strains. We can discover a way to relaxation and tranquility.
The author is the head of the Sawan Kirpal Ruhani Mission.
