Mindfulness meditation has reached mainstream fever-pitch. But, there is still a lot of misunderstanding about its other benefits. Hopefully, this post will help you decide if taking up a mindfulness practice is right for you!
Mindfulness meditation helps better your brain
Most often when professionals talk about the benefits of mindfulness meditation, they focus on the psychological and emotional benefits (which are great!). But, meditation also impacts the physiology of your brain.
Research has shown us that daily meditation helps better preserve the brain over time. As we age, we lose brain functioning. However, a study has demonstrated that those who meditated regularly had noticeably less loss than those who did not practice mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness meditation can actually help preserve your brain and help it change for the better over time.
Research also indicates that those who practice meditation decrease brain cell volume in the amygdala. This is the center of the brain responsible for fear and anxiety. By practicing meditation you gain greater self-control AND literally change the structure of the brain responsible for your anxious and fearful feelings.
Meditation reduces the impact of stress
One of the biggest benefits of meditation is that it helps reduce the impact of stress. Researchers at Harvard University had participants practice mindfulness meditation and found that those who meditated displayed greater grey matter in the hippocampus, a part of the brain responsible for memory, learning, compassion and self-awareness. The results were demonstrated by brain scans at the end of an 8 week mindfulness-based stress reduction program.
The results indicated that practicing mindfulness meditation can help improve your ability to learn and retain information. It also helps reduce overall stress, as well as promote personal development. Meditation helps people better regulate their emotions, which can lead to better outcomes in personal, romantic and work relationships.
Mindfulness Meditation works as a treatment
In addition to having positive effects on stress, mindfulness meditation is helpful in treating anxiety and depression. While more research needs to be done on the benefits of meditation, a large analysis of 47 different research trials with over 3500 participants revealed that mindfulness meditation can produce similar results to antidepressant medication. And, that is without any real negative side effects. That makes mindfulness meditation a powerful tool in treating longstanding anxiety and depression.
Meditation helps you take care of your body
As a practice, meditation also has a lot of benefits for our bodies as well. Regular meditation practice is associated with lower blood pressure, lower cortisol (stress hormone) levels, less risk of heart disease, better blood circulation and less stress. In addition, people who meditate also report feeling more at ease or happier overall.
With all of these benefits, it stands to reason that mindfulness meditation and mindfulness-based stress reduction has fallen into favor. If you are interested in developing your own mindfulness based practice, contact a mindfulness coach who can help you harness the benefits to better your quality of life.
Author: Jor-El
Jor-El is Co-founder of Viva Wellness and a foodie and film buff. He most often writes about mental health, relationships, food and mindfulness. When he’s not busy working, he typically can be found lounging or walking around NYC with his pup Nomi.
