Meditation comes in many different forms, including but not limited to mindfulness meditation, walking meditation, and transcendental meditation. All forms of meditation involve one thing: a heightened state of awareness. At any given time, thoughts bounce like Ping-Pong balls between the past and the future, stuck no what could have been or fixated on what might be. Rarely do they zero in on the here and now. Research shows that tuning out the world and tuning in to yourself can be a stealth health booster that can change your body and brain and overhaul your overall state of well-being. This can be done in as few as 12 minutes a day! Here's how meditation amps up your health.
Brain-Meditation can increase alpha and theta brainwave activity, which is linked to relaxation. Practicing meditation every day for two months can physically beef up some of your gray matter!
Mood-A meditative state can light up the areas of your brain that control complex thoughts and positive emotions. Some forms of meditation can also build mental muscle in the areas of the brain that control compassion, empathy, and fear. This will, in time, allow you greater mastery over your emotions and help you to feel closer to other people.
Lungs and Heart-Regular meditation can drop your blood pressure by up to four points which in turn can lower your risk for heart disease! Wondering how that is possible? Meditation increases activity in your parasympathetic nervous system which controls your rest-and-digest functions (this is the opposite of your fight-or-flight response) therefore allowing your lungs to begin to draw deeper breaths. As your lungs draw deeper breaths, your heart begins to beat more slowly, causing your blood vessels to relax.
Relaxation- During a meditative state, your adrenal glands dial back production of the stress hormone cortisol. Meditation increases blood flow to your brain, which in turn may help lower anxiety. As an added bonus, the additional blood flow may help improve your memory!)
Willpower- Practicing meditation can lower your blood sugar levels (thus lowering your chances having diabetes) and may cut cravings for salty foods.
Immune System-Meditation helps nix the mental negativity that may dampen the immune response. It can also prompt your body to step up its antibody production. Research shows mediators are more better able to fight off infections and may also have better pain control when injured.
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