In an experimental study published in Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, researchers at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital found that when healthy adults participated in mindfulness meditation, notable positive changes took place in the brain’s grey matter, including improvements in memory and cognitive processes, perspective taking, emotional control and attention spans.
These results echo past research studies where doctors and researchers more or less agree that regular meditation for just 15-30 minutes a day reduces stress, improves one’s general wellbeing and leads to several other tangible improvements. No wonder millions of people around the world swear by the healing powers of meditation. Still not convinced? Here are just some of the hundreds of benefits of meditation you can enjoy:
Physiological benefits of meditation
Meditation helps your health in very real, measurable ways. It has been medically proven, for instance, that regular meditation can…
- Help you attain your ideal weight
- Relax your central nervous system
- Prevent anxiety attacks
- Enhance your body’s blood flow
- Relax your body and lower muscle tension
- Fortify your immune system
- Slow down ageing
- Counter PMS, relieve menstrual cramps and regulate ovulation
- Lower blood pressure and bad cholesterol levels
- Improve general stamina
Spiritual benefits of meditation
Along more spiritual lines, the benefits of meditation are also innumerable. For example, meditation gives you…
- A sense of calmness, peace and happiness
- An improved understanding of others and yourself
- More empathy and compassion
- Self-acceptance and makes you more forgiving
- An increased capacity to love others
- A sense of balance and oneness with nature
- A renewed sense of purpose and meaning in life
Psychological benefits of meditation
Psychiatrists advise practising meditation due to its ability to counter a host of psychological issues. Meditation enables you to…
- Tackle depression and mood swings
- Become emotionally secure
- Conquer fears and phobias
- Become more happy, productive and creative
- Strengthen your willpower and handle stress better
- Ignore trivial issues, become less aggressive and focus on what really matters
- Solve problems more efficiently
- Feel satisfied and rejuvenated
We could go on and on but you get the idea. Meditation is among the very few things you can do for your mind and body that heal you wholesomely. Practitioners of Western, Eastern and alternative medicine concur that meditation is good for you. Now where are you going to find a consensus like that?
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