By Aadhya Ramineni ’19, Contributor

The average person has 35-48 thoughts per minute. That’s 70,000 thoughts a day. If you don’t learn to control your thoughts and focus on what’s important, you may end up overworking your brain. It’s tough getting anything done efficiently while your mind constantly wanders.

Whether you’re dealing with the consequences of your procrastination, or just trying your best to finish strong, these last few weeks of school can be especially stressful. And with exams around the corner, it’s easier than ever to feel overwhelmed. Luckily, there’s a perfect way to reduce stress and increase calmness: meditation. Possibly the most effective form of stress reduction, meditation is often misinterpreted as concentrating on something or imagining conditions that calm and please us. Contrary to these beliefs, meditation is simply awareness of the present moment: a state of thoughtlessness. As human beings, we worry about the past and dream about the future, letting what’s irreversible and what’s unknown control our feelings. When meditating you become aware that you are living in the present moment, which is constantly subject to change.

It’s impossible to stop all our thoughts completely or all at once. But a recent study shows that even attempting to meditate for short sessions (5-10 minutes) and small increments of time every day can reduce mental stress. The key is consistency. It shouldn’t be too difficult to find time or motivation to meditate, given all its benefits. You can reduce anxiety and depression, boost your immune health, focus better, and even age slower! Meditation is like a miracle.

Meditation emphasizes looking within yourself for happiness rather than materialistic external things that will constantly change. Picture how much better you would do in a certain task if you were able to focus on only that one task, instead of thinking about thousands of other things. This control over the mind can be achieved by practicing meditation.

Today there are countless forms of meditation. Yoga and breathing exercises are also popular and often practiced along with meditation for mental and physical health. You can join meditation and yoga classes, or simply meditate on your own at home.

Meditation places in Cincinnati include:
• Elemental OM
• Sahaja Meditation Cincinnati
• The Mindful Communicator

Online courses/ Guided meditations:
• Free Guided Meditations
• The Art of Living- Guided Meditation
• Calm