Meditation is a practice. While practicing it; an individual focuses the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity. This helps to train attention and awareness and achieve a mentally clear and calm state.
If the stress of your day to day life has taken over you, then you need some respite from it. You can get rid of anxiety, tension and worry, by trying meditation. Practicing even a few minutes of meditation can reestablish your calm and inner peace.
Anyone can practice meditation. It's simple and inexpensive, and it doesn't need any special equipment. You can practice meditation wherever you are such as out for a walk, riding the bus, waiting at the doctor's office or even in the middle of a difficult business meeting.
People also use this practice to develop other beneficial habits and feelings. It results in having a positive mood and outlook for the day. It teaches self-discipline, gives healthy sleep patterns and even increases pain tolerance. There are many facts and health benefits aligned with this practice of meditation.
Regular Meditation Leads To Neuroplasticity In The Brain And Improves The Attention Span
A study at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center suggests that there are some positive brain changes with meditation. There is a link between stress reductions as a result of meditation to the slowing of the progression of age-related cognitive disorders. Besides this, there were some other findings too. Neuroscientist Richard Davidson at the University of Wisconsin found that people who meditate regularly exhibit high levels of gamma wave activity. Such activity allows these frequent meditators to better control of their thoughts and reactivity.
Few studies on meditation also say that the high levels of gamma waves produced during meditation lead to neuroplasticity. This is the ability of the brain to change, structurally and functionally, on the basis of environmental input. Moreover, one can stay more focused and mindful throughout the day and do errands with greater efficacy. It improves the academic performance of children significantly even while dealing with conditions like ADHD. It also treats impulse-control problems in children. It resulted in a better prognosis.
Consistent Meditation Is More Important Than Long Hours Of Meditation
Being consistent and having short bursts of meditation is far more effective. There is no benefit of inconsistent longer periods of time meditating. According to experts, only 10-20 minutes per day are all it takes to begin noticing differences. Many people find it challenging to maintain consistency with individual practice. They give up on meditation because they think that long periods of time are needed each day to achieve any notable differences.
It is also good to join a meditation group as when we meditate with others, and there is motivation. Join a group on a specific time and day, which cultivates the habit of dedicated daily practice. Thus one can opt for community centres where they can make it a habitual practice. This will get them disciplined.
Consistent Meditation Leads To A Healthy Heart And Controls Blood Pressure
Regular meditation also enhances your outlook on life. It motivates you to maintain much heart-healthy behaviour. Following a proper diet, getting adequate sleep, and keeping up regular exercise are among those good habits. The director of research at the Harvard-affiliated Benson-Henry Institute for Mind-Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital also confirms this. By regulating the Sympathetic and Autonomic Nervous systems, meditation controls our responses during sudden stress encounters. Nervous breakdown and panic attacks are prevented as well.
Studies state that individuals who attend retreat sessions have a lower heart rate. This indicates a calmer state of mind. They are noticeably indifferent to stress and anxiety. Besides this, a study at the Massachusetts General Hospital in 2008 showed that meditation was effective in lowering blood pressure. The regular practice of meditation leads to relaxation, which results in the formation of nitric oxide. This formation opens up blood vessels and reduces blood pressure.
Meditation Is An Anti-Ageing Therapy & It Reduces Stress And Anxiety
Meditation is the new anti-ageing therapy as it adds glow and youthfulness to the skin. It also cures allied health conditions. In a study of a Harvard psychiatrist and researcher, it was shown that meditation increases telomerase activity. Telomeres are protective caps on the ends of chromosomes, and short telomeres are thought to be markers of accelerated ageing. The longer the telomeres, the longer the person is likely to live.
Also, it has been proved that the main reason behind ageing is stress. Thus the best known, and most widely accepted, the benefit of meditation is stress reduction. As stress reduces, our system responds by slowing down the process of ageing. Science has repeatedly proven that this benefit is indeed based on scientific fact. Specifically, stress, along with depression, anxiety, and insomnia occurs when the brain releases increased levels of cortisol, the stress hormone.
Mindful Meditation Is The Key To Overcome Addictions, And It Also Works As A Great Painkiller
Overcoming substance abuse at any age requires a lot of self-control and discipline. Meditation helps in breaking the barrier of dry dependence. It lets one revive himself into a better individual. Many studies have found that meditation has played an important role in encouraging people to quit their addictions.
Many major pieces of research have shown that about 85% of people have called meditation as a useful relapse prevention tool. About 90% of people said that they were likely to continue meditation as it has benefitted them a lot more. The research suggested that combining meditation practices with medication for treating pain conditions. Conditions like osteoarthritis, headaches, and other chronic pains can be cured with meditation. It is also useful for providing long-term remedies. Meditation can make us more immune to painful infections and illness.
Meditation Reduces The Chances Of Age-Related Memory Loss
Meditation also reduces age-related memory loss and memory retention problems. A study conducted by a neuroscientist at Harvard Medical School found some of the first evidence to suggest that consistent meditation led to increased cortical thickness. The folds on the cortex in the brain, which create more surface area allows for a better ability to keep information. Six years later, another Harvard study compared the brains of people increased grey matter in the hippocampus. Brain examinations by Professor Eileen Lugers at the UCLA Laboratory of Neurology-imagine proved that meditators have more gyrification that helps the brain to process information faster and improve selective attention and focus. This is the reason why meditators screen out distractions faster than non-meditators, giving their brains more room to accept and keep new information.
With hope, the above-mentioned 6 facts will motivate you to make meditation a piece of your daily routine. I conclude my thoughts here.
Will meet up soon with another piece of information.
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