The Proven Health Benefits of Daily Meditation

12 Proven Health Benefits of Meditation

Meditation is a mindful practice that trains your mind to focus and channel your thoughts into a deep, meditative state. People who practice meditation often sit in an upright position, cross-legged with eyes closed. Although you can meditate lying down or standing up, the process is essentially the same. The goal is to clear the mind, reduce stress, and let go of negative emotions and thoughts.

There are many benefits associated with regular meditation; here are 12 science-backed benefits of daily meditation.

Stress Reduction

Stress-relief is one of the main reasons why people meditate. Most people begin the practice to feel calm and to reduce the stress that is often associated with the modern world.

Scientific research has provided some evidence to back up the claims that meditation reduces stress levels.

Stress is the silent killer because it increases blood pressure, and it elevates the stress hormone cortisol, which can cause more health problems over time. Excess cortisol can lead to inflammation in the body.

The negative impact of stress can lead to poor sleep patterns, depression, anxiety, and severe brain fog.

In a 2-month research exercise, participants practiced a specific type of meditation called mindfulness meditation. When the study was over, those who suffered from stress-related inflammation experienced a noticeable decrease.

Reduces Anxiety

Anxiety is often associated with stress; if meditation can help reduce stress, it should have the same effect on anxiety.

A 2-month study where participants practiced mindful meditation revealed that practicing this type of meditation could reduce overall feelings of anxiety such as fear, social anxiety and OCD(obsessive-compulsive disorder)

3.Emotional Health

Certain types of meditation can improve your emotional health. Practicing often can make you feel more confident and positive about life.

Two research exercises carried out on more than 4,000 adults revealed that mindfulness meditation does decrease depression.

When you are stressed, your body produces stress-related chemicals called cytokines. They impact your mood, and they sometimes cause depression, anxiety, and low mood. Scientific research presents some evidence to show that meditation might decrease depression by reducing cytokines in the body.

4.Boost Self-Awareness

Self-awareness is essential if you want to feel confident and happy. Meditation can help to boost self-awareness, especially self-inquiry meditation. This type of meditation aims to encourage you to look inward and ask yourself the difficult questions.

Tai chi is a type of active meditation, and studies have shown that tai chi can boost self-awareness and self-esteem. For example, a particular study observed 21 women with breast cancer, they practiced tai chi daily, and the results revealed that the women who practiced tai chi felt more confident and self-aware than the women who did not.

5. Focus and Attention

Meditation can improve your attention span and help you to focus better on important tasks. A study carried out over two months revealed that people who take part in mindfulness meditation improve their attention span over time.

In another study that observed human resource workers, daily mindfulness meditation enhanced their focus and productivity.

6. Strengthens Memory in Older People

Improving focus and attention span can reduce the symptoms of an aging brain. As you age, your brain cells become less active.

Kirtan Kriya is a type of meditation that works by chanting and actively using finger gestures to channel thoughts effectively. Studies suggest that this type of meditation strengthens the brain cells and enhances the memory if performed regularly.

7. Encourages Kindness

Meditation encourages kindness, self-love, and gentle and loving behavior towards others.

Metta is a type of meditation that promotes kindness and self-appreciation. The idea behind Metta meditation is to start with yourself; if you start with yourself first, you are more likely to show kindness to others.

8. Could Help Treat Addictions

Studies indicate that regular meditation could help people with addictive tendencies to channel their thoughts and attention; and enhance self-motivation and determination to kick negative and self-destructive habits.

One particular study observed 19 alcoholics who practiced meditation daily. The results indicate that meditation might help with managing cravings and addictive urges.

9.Better Sleep

Meditation improves sleep by calming the mind, reducing anxiety, and relieving stress. A calm mind leads to better sleep. Research has revealed that people who practice mindfulness meditation, fall asleep faster, and experience more restful sleep than those who do not practice meditation.

10. Pain Relief

Meditation may help relieve pain by redirecting the thoughts away from the pain and directing them towards positive, happy thoughts instead.

One particular study monitored the brain activity of several participants while they experienced pain. Those that practiced mindfulness meditation days before the survey took place experienced less pain. Also, the brain that regulates pain showed more activity than those who did not practice meditation.

11. Reduce Blood Pressure

Stress is one of the leading causes of high blood pressure, and since meditation helps to reduce stress levels, it could work effectively to lower blood pressure.

High blood pressure could eventually lead to more severe health problems such as heart attacks and strokes, and meditation could reduce the risk of future health issues.

One study observed 996 participants that suffered from elevated blood pressure. These participants experienced a reduction in their blood pressure after they meditated using the silent mantra technique, where they repeated a particular affirmation in their minds for a specified period.

There was a noticeable improvement in the elderly and those who suffered from severe high blood pressure.

12. Meditation is Non-Restrictive

Meditation is non-restrictive, it is free, and you can meditate anywhere. No equipment or specialized knowledge is required. You can meditate during your lunch break at work; you can meditate on the bus, there is no restriction when it comes to meditation.

If you are new to meditation, start by choosing the type of meditation that suits you best. Here are two of the most popular types of meditation:

Focused-attention meditation: Focus on a specific thing or mental picture. The goal is to clear your mind. Focus on breathing, affirmations, or a relaxing sound such as music or binaural beats.

Open-monitoring meditation: The goal is to become more self-aware and to become aware of your surroundings, such as nature or positive aspects of your life. This type of meditation benefits people who struggle with addiction because it allows them to learn and understand their behavioral patterns.

Conclusion

Regular meditation practice is highly beneficial, and with time and focus, it could help you eliminate stress, anxiety, and depression. It could help you sleep better and reduce the risk of various health problems such as heart attacks, strokes, and dementia.

If you have never tried meditation before, start small, and work your way up to longer, more intense mediation sessions. Start with short, 5-minute sessions in the morning or whenever you feel the need to relax, focus, and destress.

Meditating often could change the way you think, and help you become a more kind, compassionate, and positive version of yourself.