7 Health Benefits of Meditation Proven by Science

Meditation emerged as a holistic practice in Hinduism about 3000 years ago. Often, people assume that meditation takes long hours of sitting in a position and closing eyes to focus on the divine. However, it’s different from how it’s perceived. It’s an exercise for improving mental control, repose, and clarity. People who learn this art of living healthy continue to practice it for reaping its health benefits in their lifetime.

1) Improved Focus and Alertness

Meditation enables individuals to focus on their present life, which leads to improved alertness; responsible for effectively completing tasks and enjoying the present. 

In 2011, the Harvard Medical School conducted a study on the effects of mindfulness meditation and discovered a link between processing new information and mindfulness. During an eight-week meditation program, researchers studied the brains of 17 individuals. They took brain scans before and after the program’s participation and discovered an increase in gray matter in brain parts associated with memory, learning, and emotional regulation. 

In 2016, Carnegie Mellon University researchers conducted a study to demonstrate how mindfulness meditation improves focus and decision-making. The study was conducted on 35 unemployed individuals seeking jobs. They were divided into two groups (group 1& group 2). Group 1 was subjected to a three-day stress management program. Meanwhile, Group 2 was subjected to a mindfulness meditation program. Brain scans of participants in group 2 indicated a significant increase in the activity of the area that controlled concentration as compared to group 1. Subsequently, researchers came to the conclusion that training our minds for focused attention and mindfulness is a learnable skill.  

2) Creates Happiness

Mindfulness meditation leads to positive brain activity which improves our holistic health. Research has been conducted on seasoned meditators that indicates the areas associated with mental restlessness is less active, consequently, they learn to live in the moment and enjoy it, than worrying about the future. Hence, meditation in the long term improves life contentment and happiness, thus with regular practice people can learn this skill – the art of being happy.

If struggling with your emotions, laugh at the jokes as much as you can, and soon you will notice the difference.     

3) Stress Buster

Tired of your life’s obligations? Meditate to reduce effectively anxiety caused by stress. In recent research conducted, when Zen meditation is paired with mindfulness for three months, it leads to a decrease in brain tissue density responsible for anxiety. Hence, if you want to enjoy a calmer self, meditation can help.

Some researchers share the viewpoint that meditation can lower anxiety levels and help improve bodily functions. For instance, a study conducted on 47 people with chronic pain who were subjected to an 8-week meditation program experienced a visible improvement in anxiety, depression, and pain within 1 year.

Meditation can assist with reducing anxiety related to job/work. A study conducted on employees who used a mindfulness meditation app experienced improved holistic well-being within 8 weeks as compared to those who didn’t.

Yoga assists people in reducing their anxiety since it involves both physical activity and meditative practice. A meta-analysis of 1,300 practitioners indicated a reduced presence of the anxiety hormone cortisol as compared to others. 

4) Enhanced sense of Wellbeing

Seeking energy and happiness? Mindfulness meditation can help if you practice it regularly. This practice improves psychology and offers a calm sense of well-being surrounding you. According to research, regular practice of tai-chi and yoga offers a substantial healing impact and improves life’s quality.

5) Enhanced cardiovascular health

By practicing Transcendental Meditation and mindfulness, you can make your heart stronger, improve its health, and reduce the risk of a heart attack. Further, such practices help to control the anxiety that emerges from stress, which negatively impacts cardiovascular health. 

6) Increases Empathy level in you 

Mindful meditation generates kindness and love for yourself and others. It improves the ability of your brain to understand and process emotions, encourages philanthropic behavior, and eliminates preconceived notions that lead to damaging stereotypes. Consequently, you become a better person who understands others’ emotions and helps them battle their struggle with patience.   

7) Increased focus and creativity

Research indicates mindful meditation significantly enhances cognition, creativity, and the ability to concentrate on a task. By practicing different meditation types such as Sufi Meditation, Transcendental Meditation, Tibetan Buddhist Meditation, and Vipassana, people have significantly improved their focus on completing tasks and feel accomplished and happy.  

A study conducted on people regularly listening to meditation tapes experienced an improvement in their attention span and accuracy at completing a job. Similarly, people who regularly practiced meditation accomplished visual tasks in a better way as compared to people who didn’t practice. Need to enhance your memory and focus to achieve your goals and feel satisfied and happy? Practice mindful meditation daily for a few minutes and experience the difference.

Further, meditation boosts the grey matter in the brain’s region associated with creative thinking. Research indicates that the brain emits gamma rays more, which are responsible for creativity after a meditation session. Have you tried it, yet?

Conclusion

We have the potential to transform our lives in a positive way. We can easily experience happiness, health, and peace in our lives by practicing a few minutes daily of any form of mindful meditation. Start your experiment today!  

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