I have never considered meditation really important until recently. As the mother of six, owner of a business, and an active member of a church community devoting at least 10 to 15 hours a week to my faith, I did not see meditating as a priority. For the majority of my life, if someone would have asked me the question “Why meditate?”, I would have brushed it off and responded, “I do not have time”, but more accurately, I didn’t have the proper knowledge to convince me of the importance of meditation.
There is a foundation of facts I need to present before addressing the question, “Why meditate?” with the hope of convincing my readers of the importance of meditation.
Human Genome Project
At the beginning of the human genome project, researchers anticipated finding 140,000 different genes. At the end of the project in 2003, it was surprisingly concluded humans have approximately only 23,000 genes. This was big news and researchers now needed to figure out where the body was getting the rest of the information to make new proteins they thought was coming from genes.
Researchers soon confirmed that genes are activated or deactivated by the environment outside of the cell such as sunshine, sound, smell, taste, chemicals, toxins, hormones (insulin, histamine, etc.), enzymes, temperature, bacteria, food, trauma, etc. Depending on who is speaking, it is estimated 90 to 95% of genes are in cooperation with signals from the environment. This means what we have been taught about genes in the past is outdated. The truth is less than 10% of what happens in our bodies is due to the genes we inherit.
Beliefs change our genes – Scientific proof
In 2005, Bruce Lipton presented scientific proof that beliefs (signals or stimuli from the environment sent to a cell) change our genes. This tells us if we change our beliefs (the stimulus), we can change our genes. Lipton does an excellent job of explaining how a cell receives signals from the environment that tell other cells how to respond when making new proteins in an easy-to-follow and understandable demonstration. If you haven’t done so, I highly recommend taking the time to listen to this important updated science about genes.
Why meditate? | Subconscious Mind
Since we now know we are in control of a high percentage of our genes, this means we are not the victims of our “inherited” genes as we formerly thought. This new knowledge helps us understand we are more powerful than our genes. So, what does this all have to do with meditation?
- Real and effective change is changing our genes which happens in the base cellular level of our bodies.
- As Bruce Lipton and others have presented, it has now been scientifically proven in order to change our genes, we must change our incorrect beliefs.
- Changing bad beliefs means we have to learn to change the beliefs not only in the conscious mind but we also have to change them in the subconscious mind in order to achieve real and lasting change.
- This is where we address the question, “Why meditate?” In order to change bad beliefs, we must enter into the subconscious mind or the programs that run the body. Meditation is a pathway into the subconscious mind as Joe Dispenza beautifully explains.
Like hypnosis, meditation is another way to bypass the critical mind and move into the subconscious system of programs. The whole purpose of meditation is to move your awareness beyond your analytical mind – to take your attention off your outer world, your body, and time and to pay attention to your inner world of thoughts and feelings.
Meditation takes us from survival to creation; from separation to a connection; from imbalance to balance; from emergency mode to growth-and-repair mode; and from the limiting emotions of fear, anger, and sadness to the expansive emotions of joy, freedom, and love. pg. 148-149, You are the Placebo, Joe Dispenza- (a man who healed six compressed and fractured vertebrae through meditation).
Joe Dispenza now has a Summary Guide of his book, You are the Placebo, on Kindle for $.99.
Identifying Bad Beliefs
When my daughter left our family’s lifetime religion, I wanted to know why so I began a journey to find truth. If a person, book, or internet video, etc., flow into my existence, I curiously explore why this person or information came to me. If something comes to me without solicitation, it is my belief, there is a reason it came into my life and I want to find out if it is rubbish or truth. Regaining a childhood curiosity to consider if a belief is a good one that is serving me well has helped me identify bad beliefs I need to change.
Begin small
If meditation feels like too big of a project right now, try beginning small by listening to beautiful music and rhythmically breathing in and out for 10 minutes. Here are some links to other blogs I wrote about meditation you may want to explore.
Effective Meditation- Techniques and Ideas
Two Meditations for the Chakras
Meditation in Behalf of My Mentally Ill Son
Meditation of the Day-Excellent Guided Meditation
Top Featured Photo by Ross Findon
