Feb 21

Feb 21 Scientific Reasons To Meditate

Article, Depression and Anxiety, Disease Prevention, Mental Health, Mindfulness, Stress Management, Wellbeing

Here are the cold, hard facts about how meditation can benefit your body, sharpen your mind, and improve your relationships.

Meditation is a game-changer for depression and anxiety.
We know meditation is good for our minds, but science has specifically shown that meditation can help with mental health conditions like depression and anxiety.

You can tackle inflammation by calming your mind.
Research has shown that mindfulness based stress reduction (MSBR) can lead to decreased levels of inflammation. And scientists suggest using MSBR for people with chronic inflammatory conditions, such as asthma, arthritis, and IBS.

Meditation increases gray matter in the brain.
Studies have shown that increases in these areas of the brain might explain meditators' ability to cultivate positive emotions and remain emotionally stable.

You can meditate to ease physical pain.
Mindfulness meditation can help ease chronic pain and increase quality of life. Which is great news for the 50 million Americans who suffer from chronic pain.

Meditation keeps you young.
Research has shown that mediation can improve cognitive functioning and increase telomerase activity, suggesting it can protect us from the stress-induced aging of our cells.

It can boost your immune function.
Even a short-term meditation program can result in significant improvements in immune function. Cold and flu season may be a great time to start practicing!

You can become a more compassionate person.
Meditation increases areas in the brain that are responsible for feelings of empathy. Being able to understand and read the emotions of others can lead to healthier and deeper relationships.

Mindfulness can lower your blood pressure.
More recent studies have shown meditation is a promising approach to lower both systolic and diabolic blood pressures, some of the major risk factors associated with heart disease.

Stress reduction can improve your digestion.
Meditation has been shown to reduce stress-related flare-ups for people who suffer from digestive problems.

So, what are you waiting for? Try starting a meditation practice and see how it can benefit you!