The Meditation Advantage

San Jose State University alumni Robert Fettgather studied psychology, sociology and religion. He lives in Northern California, and is an associate faculty member at Mission College in Santa Clara. Besides his career pursuits, Robert Fettgather is interested in philosophy and meditation.

Meditation is a way for people to set aside daily life activities and immerse themselves more fully in the present. It has several benefits. First, when the mind races with too many thoughts, focusing on work or a particular activity is difficult. “Brain fog” is when people have trouble concentrating or forget things easily. The most common cause of brain fog is stress. Meditation can assist in reducing symptoms of stress related conditions including fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndrome.

Meditation helps individuals relax, focus on their breath, clear the mind and experience the present the moment. According to researchers, meditation can also help with pain management. Therefore, mindful breathing (deliberate timing of an individual’s breathing) and the steadying pose (commonly the cross-legged pose or kneel pose) in meditation may help people manage chronic pain, raise pain tolerance and reduce pain-related anxiety.