Meditation is the exercise of mind that is practiced by our ancestors for thousands of years. It is widely known that meditation is very effective in bringing peace of mind and reducing anxiety.
But how many of us know that recent science has discovered many other benefits that meditation can offer? If you are one of those curious intellectuals, then you are in the right place.
In this article, I will discuss 7 scientifically proven benefits of meditation that no one should ignore. Stick to the end of the article. I have a surprise bonus for you. This can improve the quality of your meditation hugely.
So, without further talking, here are 7 scientifically proven benefits of meditation.
1. Meditation Can Reduce Stress
One of the greatest reputation of meditation is that it in highly effective in reducing stress. A study on more than 3500 adults confirmed effectiveness of meditation in reducing stress.
Stress occurs due to increased release of stress hormone cortisol. High level of cortisol can cause many complexities that have harmful impact in our bodies. Some of the bad effects of cortisol are sleep disruption, increased inflammation, anxiety, and depression etc.
A 2014 study found that meditation can reduce the amount of cortisol hormone. The study also concluded that, meditation is more effective in more stressed people.
2. Meditation Can Improve Emotional Health
Individuals who meditated showed quantifiable changes in action in areas linked to positive thinking and optimism. Some types of meditation may also cause a better self-image and much more favorable outlook in life.
A study followed 18 volunteers since they practiced meditation within three decades.
Another research of mindfulness meditation discovered diminished depression in over 4,600 adults.
Another controlled study compared electric action between the brains of individuals who practiced mindfulness meditation along with the brains of the others who didn’t.
Inflammatory compounds called cytokines, which are published in reaction to stress can influence mood, resulting in depression. An overview of many studies suggests meditation can decrease depression by reducing these inflammatory compounds.
3. Increase Attention Span
Focused-attention meditation is similar to weight lifting for your attention span. It will help boost the strength and endurance of your focus.
Furthermore, one review found that meditation sometime reverse patterns in the brain that bring about mind-wandering, stressing and poor focus.
A similar study conducted on HR workers who regularly practiced mindfulness meditation. The study concluded that they remained focused on a task for more.
These workers also remembered details of the tasks better than their peers who did not practice meditation.
Even meditating for a short period may be beneficial for you. One study found that four times of practicing meditation might be enough to improve attention span.
4. Helps to Fight Addiction
Research shows that meditation can help people learn how to divert their focus, raise their willpower, restrain their feelings and instincts and raise their comprehension of the causes of their addictive behaviours.
A study that instructed 19 recovering alcoholics how to meditate discovered that participants who received the instruction obtained better in controlling their cravings and craving-related anxiety.
The psychological discipline you’ll be able to develop through meditation might help you break dependencies by upping your self-control and consciousness of triggers for addictive behaviors.
Meditation might also assist you in controlling food cravings. A review of 14 studies concluded that mindfulness meditation aids participants decrease psychological and binge eating.
5. Improves Quality of Sleep
Nearly half of the population struggle with insomnia at some stages of life. One study compared two mindfulness-based meditation programs.
Participants were assigned randomly to one of the two groups. Among the two groups, one group practiced meditation, while the other one didn’t. The study concluded that participants who meditated fell asleep sooner and stayed asleep longer, in comparison to people who skipped meditation.
Meditating regularly also reduces hypertension, which frequently leads to insomnia. Besides, it helps your body to relax, releasing the tension, and placing you into a calm state where you are more inclined to fall asleep.
6. Increase Endurance to Pain
An intriguing study at the University of Montreal demonstrated that meditation builds endurance from pain, especially the physical ones. In the analysis, two groups received equivalent quantities of intense heat in their bodies for a reasonable amount of time.
Among the groups had Zen Buddhist masters that were committed meditators, and another team had thirteen non-meditators. Researchers were astonished at how the Zen masters reported significantly less pain compared to other participants.
7. Lowers Blood Pressure and IBS
A study published in the British Medical Journal concluded that patients that practiced meditation based exercises had substantially lower blood pressure compared to those from the control group. Experts think that meditation lowers the body’s responsiveness to cortisol and other stress hormones, which can be comparable to the way that blood pressure reducing drugs work. It is among meditation’s excellent wellness benefits.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or IBS, is a frequent bowel disease characterized by bloating, stomach pain, cramps and altered gut behaviour. It’s thought that approximately 15 percent of the planet’s population suffers from IBS — such as the estimated 25 to 45 million Americans. Its specific cause is not understood.
Daily relaxing meditation was proven to alleviate symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
After a string of successful research, researchers in The State University of New York currently strongly recommended daily meditation at the management of IBS.
A tip that can help you to meditate effectively
n the beginning meditating can be so tough. Things get tougher when you can’t find a perfect place to meditate properly.
On the contrary practicing meditation becomes lot easier if you can ensure a proper environment. Speaking of proper environment, a good aromatherapy can do job to the most part.
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So, here you have got 7 scientifically proven benefits of meditation and a very effective suggestion on practicing meditaion effectively.
What’s your experience with meditaion?
Share your thoughts in the comment section, and please do share this article with your friends and family so that they can benefit too.