Meditation is a distinct way of learning how to be present in your mind and body in this moment. A way of turning inward and finding calm from within, pushing away the stresses and worries of the day. It has a positive effect on people – lowering anxiety and stress, increasing energy, promoting creativity, positivity, and general well-being. Men, in particular are great candidates for meditating. Those that are challenged in highly stressful careers can benefit from the reduction of stress and enhanced concentration and focus. Meditation is also a useful skill for male athletes to use in developing focus and concentration during a game or competition. Meditation is also a useful tool for men to use in order to cope with sadness and anger, and to control emotions.
We thoroughly enjoyed this article by The Art of Manliness about meditation for men, that explains why meditation is “manly”:
Why Meditate?
Everybody meditates for different reasons. It is a practice often undertaken by those seeking to develop their spirituality or trying to work through emotional problems. But even if those reasons don’t call to you personally, you can still benefit from meditation for several reasons.
First, meditation serves as a defense between our fast-paced, technological world and our psyches. We’re surrounded by a multitude of distractions from smart phones to 24-hour news channels. You probably surfed through at least half a dozen different websites before you started reading this article. The onslaught of input we receive each day can do a number on us emotionally and psychologically. Meditation allows a man to take a much needed mental rest from the hustle and bustle of modern life. It restores our brain’s balance and our sense of overall calm and well-being.
Second, and related to the point above, is that meditation can help increase your attention span and focus. You exercise your body at the gym, but what do you do for your brain? If you find it difficult to concentrate on your work, your studies, or even your interactions with other people, you need to meditate. It’s a workout for your brain and can give you the strength to focus better and longer on your daily tasks.
Third, meditation can help a man “be his own man” and feel comfortable in his own skin. That constant stream of input we face each day often carries messages of what we’re supposed to think or feel. Talking-heads spout off opinions as if they were facts. Advertisers try to convince us that buying such-and-such product will make us feel more virile and manly. Meditation allows us to be alone with our own thoughts and discover what we really think about the world and ourselves.
Meditation is mental training that enables you to control your own thoughts, instead of letting others control them. It creates a deep inner discipline, which is incredibly manly.
If those aren’t enough reasons for you to start meditating, scientists are learning that meditation can actually change your brain and body in very positive ways, such as lowering your blood pressure, strengthening your empathy, and boosting your memory.
Bottom line: Meditation can make you a healthier, smarter man!
Read the full article here.
The folks at Art of Manliness point out several famous manly men who regularly meditate, including Darwin and Kant, the top execs of Google, Target and General Mills, champion boxer Vijender Singh and basketball coach Phil Jackson. Even the U.S. Marine Corps is testing meditation as a means to increase soldiers’ mental performance and clarity.
Are you a man who meditates? What got you started and what benefits have you gained from it? Please tell us using the comment box below.
