Benefits
Sahaja Yoga Meditation has a beneficial impact on every aspect of a person’s life – our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual life. By bringing about an inner transformation, the benefits of meditation accrue not only to the individual but also to the society, the nation and ultimately the whole of humanity. Sahaja Yoga Meditation brings about integration of all the traditional spiritual teachings of the world.
A more relaxed state of mind
Rai et al. (n.d.) found that Sahaja Yoga meditation led to a wakeful hypo-metabolic state that decreased sympathetic nervous activity related to the fight or flight response and increased parasympathetic activity that’s responsible for rest and relaxation. Regular practice of Sahaja Yoga meditation was also found to reduce one’s perceived stress by improving the ability to cope (both subjective as well as behavioural).
Improved attention
A study by Barrós-Loscertales et al. (2021) showed that Sahaja Yoga meditation increased functional connectivity (FC) between ventral and dorsal frontal regions within brain networks related to attention and cognitive control. It reduced FC between the left insula and the bilateral mid-cingulate as well as between the right angular gyrus and the bilateral precuneus/cuneus cortices, leading to weakening of mind wavering.
A more positive perspective
A study (Hendriks et al., 2022) surveyed 310 people who practice Sahaja Yoga meditation and found that it helped improve seven signature character strengths relative to non-meditators. These were spirituality, forgiveness, gratitude, self-regulation, teamwork, appreciation of beauty, and hope. Additionally, engaging in meditative practice as a part of a group was found to further assist in personal growth.
Reduced work related stress
An 8-week study (Black et al., 2011) of 178 adult workers revealed significantly greater improvements in the mental wellbeing of the people following Sahaja yoga meditation.The study showed that the the aspect of thoughtless awareness or mental silence, specific to Sahaja Yoga, was especially effective in reducing occupational stress.
Reduced academic stress
A study (Hotkar, 2017) of grade eight school girls in India showed that daily Sahaja Yoga meditation practice for six weeks had a significant reduction in the study related stress of the participants. The study concluded that a sustained Sahaja Yoga meditation programme would be beneficial for schools and students.