Meditation

Office of Health Education and Promotion - Meditation

Meditation

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Additional Resources

If you would like to meet individually with a Wellness Educator/Counselor to talk about meditation, please call (603) 862-3823 or make an appointment online (choose stress management appointment). 

Health and Wellness Benefits of Meditation

Meditation is now a mainstream practice in America, with more than 30 million people practicing it on a regular basis. Meditation is an experience of relaxing the body, quieting the mind, and awakening the spirit. Meditation encourages a deepening of consciousness or awareness, and also facilitates a deeper understanding of self and others. There are thousands of meditation techniques that have been developed and practiced for over 5,000 years and each has specific techniques and skills that can be learned.

Some of the benefits of meditation are:

Higher levels of energy, creativity, and spontaneity Decreased stress, depression and anxiety
Lower blood pressure Fewer cravings for alcohol and tobacco
Increased exercise tolerance Increased job satisfaction
Better concentration Better relationships with others.

 

Meditation can help college students:

Manage time Practice mindful eating
Control addictions and cravings Reduce stress and enhance sleep
Achieve academic success Achieve athletic success and body satisfaction
Enhance the immune system Develop a deeper sense of compassion and forgiveness for others and self

 

Types of Meditation

The following meditations were written and produced at UNH for Reflections: Meditative Practice for College Students

Breath Meditations - Great For Beginners! 

For most meditative practices the breath is very important because it is connected to both the mind and the body.  For example, if we are anxious, frightened or upset our breath tends to be shallow, irregular and quick.  If we are relaxed, settled or calm, our breath tends to be more slow, deep and regular.

Focusing the mind on the continuous rhythm of inhalation and exhalation provides a natural object of meditation. As you focus your awareness on the breath, your mind becomes absorbed in the rhythm of inhalation and exhalation. As a result, your breathing will become slower and deeper, and the mind becomes more tranquil and aware.

Practice

Concentrative Meditations

Concentrative meditation is the most commonly used form of meditation and assists with focusing the mind.  This is done by focusing on the breath, image/objective or sound (mantra) during the meditation.  This process allows the mind to achieve clarity and awareness.  Transcendental meditation (TM), based in the Hindu tradition, is a form of concentrative meditation. 

Practice

Receptive Meditation

Receptive meditation assists with becoming more fully present in the moment.  This is done by being mindful and attentive to feelings, sensation, thoughts, images, smells and experiences without becoming involved without judgment, reaction or processes the experience. This helps to gain a calmer, clearer and more non-reactive state of mind and being.  Mindfulness meditation, based on the Buddhism, is a form of receptive meditation. 

Practice

Reflective Meditation

Reflective meditation assists with investigating an idea in a systematic way.  It uses disciplined thinking and analysis to reflect upon a compelling question, challenge, idea or project.  We can also reflect on a verse, a phrase or inspiring idea. This form of meditation can bring wisdom and insight into all aspects of our lives.  

Practice

Generative Meditation

Generative meditation assists in consciously cultivating and strengthening specific qualities such as patience, love, appreciation, compassion, humility, gratitude, courage, etc.  This form of meditation invites us to actively nurture these strengths of character by thinking, speaking and acting as though the quality is already fully present and alive within us. 

Practice

Meditation Services Available at UNH

Additional Resources