Shirley MacLaine once said, "Remember what people used to say about meditation? Now everyone is doing it." I wonder why..
Although Meditation Practitioners have known the benefits of meditation for thousands of years, it is only now that scientific research is beginning to prove that meditation has a positive effect on us at a physiological level. In this post I'm going to be exploring the science behind this ancient tradition and how it can be of benefit to our minds and bodies in the fast-paced Western society we live in today.
Studies have proven that meditation is strongly associated with improvements in a number of psychological areas, which include depression, anxiety, cognitive function, alertness, and stress, amongst others. There is new research which also suggests that meditation reduces response to pain, as well as blood pressure, and even strengthens our immune systems. Isn't that incredible - we are actually using our minds to direct our bodies!
But what does meditation actually do to the body to cause these changes? It all starts with the brain, or perhaps more precisely the subjective mind.
Several MRI scans, taken of people's brains whilst meditating, have shown that the subject's brain wave goes into an alpha state. According to The National Institutes of Health (NIH), this "reduces activity in the sympathetic nervous system and increases activity in the parasympathetic nervous system," or equivalently, meditation produces a reduction in arousal and increase in relaxation. This 'relaxation response' includes changes in metabolism, heart rate, respiration, blood pressure and brain chemistry.
My particular area of interest relates to meditation and health, having suffered previous health issues myself. People with chronic illnesses have found vast improvements over time through regular practice of meditation. This has been achieved by simply sitting in a quiet room (not necessarily in the classic Buddhist pose!) for just 15 minutes a day, shutting their mind off from the external environment, and positively affirming to themselves!
Early research suggests this may be possible due to this practice reducing cortisol levels within our body, which is extremely important, bearing in mind that chronic-stimulation of cortisol and adrenalin causes our cells to break down. Meditation may also reduce anxiety within the subject, linked to the negative prognosis they may have received from their doctor.
Meditation is a truly fascinating area of Mind-Body Medicine, and we are just at the tip of the iceberg! As a daily meditator, I can't recommend it enough. To you I say, next time you are stressed or have an unresolved issue causing you anxiety, don't dwell on it..meditate! It's free and good for your health!
Thanks and Happy Reading!
Adam
p.s. if you're interested in taking meditation further, The London Meditation Centre does free fortnightly talks in Notting Hill Gate -
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