“Studies have shown that regular meditation promotes mindfulness (sustained observing awareness), whose benefits include decreased stress-related cortisol, insomnia, symptoms of autoimmune illnesses, PMS, asthma, falling back into depression, general emotional distress, anxiety, and panic, and increased immune system factors, control of blood sugar in type 2 diabetes, detachment from reactions, self-understanding, and general well-being.” -Rick Hanson, Ph.D.
How is it possible that being still and “doing nothing” can do so much for our health and well-being? Especially when stillness and non-doing are antithetical to our way of life. Perhaps not widely known, meditation (dhyana in Sanskrit) is one of the Eight Limbs of yoga, so let’s explore the compelling case for meditation.
Meditation is paying attention with single-pointed focus, concentration, relaxation, and open, non-judgmental present moment awareness. Practiced for millennia, meditation posture was documented in Indus Valley cave paintings from 5,000 - 3,000 BC.1 Fast forward to the modern era to find research on meditators that began in the 1950’s.2 It’s estimated that there are 200-500 million meditators around the world.3
At the risk of sounding like an infomercial,* here are some of the multiple and multi-dimensional benefits of meditation, to show you how a regular practice does a great deal for us, and by extension, others as well.
Health benefits of meditation
Meditation has been shown to:4
Reduce stress
Improve stress-related health conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and fibromyalgia
Promote mental and emotional health
Reduce anxiety and depression
Control pain and tension headaches
Improve sleep
Reduce anxiety
Help to control asthma
Support cancer recovery
Manage chronic pain
Manage heart disease and high blood pressure
But wait, there’s more
Other benefits of meditation can include:5
Gaining a new perspective on stressful situations
Building skills to manage stress
Increasing self-awareness
Focusing on the present
Reducing negative emotions
Increasing imagination and creativity
Increasing patience and tolerance
Beyond health and well-being
Meditation is non-sectarian and complements practitioners’ religious and spiritual practices. In Buddhism, meditation is the primary method of awakening, discovering the “true self,” and cultivating wisdom and compassion. Other spiritual traditions use meditation to help practitioners connect with the Divine (however defined or meaningful for each person) and appreciate the Oneness of all beings. Quiet exploration of the mind can also help us to transcend ordinary experience and to discover pure awareness.
Meditation works on brain functioning
Far from doing nothing, meditation introduces changes in areas of the brain related to our ability to learn. It works on brain functioning through neuroplasticity; the capacity to replace old neuronal connections with new ones.6 In other words, repeated experience can change the way the brain works. Research has shown that regular meditation increases gray matter (neuronal cell bodies and synapses) in the insula, hippocampus, and the prefrontal cortex. It also increases gamma-range brainwaves and reduces cortical thinning due to aging in the insula and the prefrontal cortex.
Getting started with meditation
If you’re ready to try meditation for yourself, remember that meditation is a daily practice. To cultivate the many benefits of practice, you need to make a little effort. You can begin with a few minutes of quiet stillness each day and add time over time. As you get started, please consider your motivation to meditate. Then . . .
Practice at the same time, in the same place, daily
Maintain an open mind, explore, and relax
Go deeper
Click to follow my guided lovingkindness meditation (8:40 minutes audio)
Contact me for meditation resources including the science behind meditation.
Enjoy the journey, my friends. Enjoy.
*Note: Your results may vary. Meditation may be contra-indicated for certain medical conditions.
Sources:
1. Psychology Today, “An Overview of Meditation: Its Origins and Traditions”
2. National Library of Medicine, “Meditation research, past, present, and future: perspectives from the Nalanda contemplative science tradition”
3. Finances Online Meditation Statistics
4. Kaiser Permanente, “Meditation for your total health”
5. Mayo Clinic, "Meditation: A simple, fast way to reduce stress"
6. Yongey Minguyr Rinpoche, Joy of Living
7. Rickhanson.net
Photo: Cells of the brain, Dana Foundation
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