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How Meditation Helps Our Bodies! Part 1: Of A Series On The Benefits of Meditation.
You all are aware of the spiritual benefits of meditation but do know what the physical benefits of meditation benefits are? If you are reading this then you most probably have an appreciation for meditation in some manner. You may be a practitioner. You may have seen the pictures of Buddhist monks in the lotus position and would like to know how to meditate for beginners. Regardless you are on the right path to a more fulfilled life.
What Is Meditation Used For
Let’s take a look at the benefits of daily meditation on your body but first let’s define meditation: “Meditation is the act of engaging in the regular practice to change your mental, emotional or physical state or to attain a heightened level of spiritual awareness”
Physical Benefits Of Meditation: How Meditation Helps
The scientific research on meditation shows that it affords improved health and wellbeing. There have been many thousands of scientific studies and clinical trials on meditation. The meta-analyses of these studies have built a consensus on how meditation helps improve your physical health and wellbeing.
There are many benefits of meditation on brain health. One study shows that people who meditate have a selectively bigger and better-connected brain. Meditation alters brainwaves. How it changes them depends on the style of meditation you engage in and how deeply you enter the meditative state.
“Long-term meditators have increased gray matter in regions of the brain associated with learning, memory processes, emotion regulation & executive decision making.” Sarah Lazar, Ph.D., Harvard School of Medicine.
- Grey Matter: Cell Growth, new dendrites, synapses, glial cells, blood vessels, which allow neurons to communicate more effectively.
- White Matter: Increased Myelination (the protective covering around the axons thickens). Neurons can send information more quickly.
Other important physiological reasons for meditation are that it aids with major areas of health concern, such as cardiovascular and heart health, immune system, pain relief, and more.
Physical Health Benefits Of Meditation
I am sure that have begun to hear about the mindfulness meditation benefits in the news. Many people that come to me with related questions often ask “are mediation and mindfulness practice the same”? They are in essence. It would be like asking the question about Zen meditation and Transcendental Meditation. They are both petals of the same flower.
Other inquiries I receive often are “is meditation good for anxiety” and “are there emotional benefits of meditation”. Again the answer is yes. The benefits of meditation and yoga, yoga being another form of meditation in a sense,
By far in today’s society stress reduction is probably the number one reason people want to learn how to meditate. Stress has nasty effects us, humans. It can cause issues around sleep causing fatigue, increase bouts of anxiety and depression, as well as negatively affecting your blood pressure which can lead to cardiovascular issues.
Physical Benefits Of Meditation On A Daily Basis
Here are just a few of the benefits of learning how to meditate daily, or in other words, engage in a meditation practice.
- Concentration… As you meditate you learn to control your mind and its attention to your thoughts. In turn, this increased focus also translates into your normal daily life.
- Clarity Of Mind… As you get deeper into your practice the control over your mind increases. This is like going to the gym to flex your muscles. Your memory and attention increase. In essence, this mind gym will keep it younger.
- Better Sleep… Much of you suffer from some form of insomnia. Learning how to meditate deeply will allow you to get to sleep sooner and sleep longer. Basically, this practice will help restrain your “monkey mind” that keeps you awake. Learning how to meditate in bed is much better than counting sheep. Becoming skilled in meditation may help you control or redirect the racing or “runaway” thoughts that often lead to insomnia.
- Pain Control… In many cases, pain s related to your state of mind. Much of the pain you feel is related to emotional stress. Actually, about 85% of all back pain begins with some form of traumatic experience that you may not even remember. Meditation helps you eliminate or at least lessen the emotional effects of trauma translating into the physical as relieving pain.
- Beating Addiction… A certain part of any beating any addiction is the physical sensations of giving up whatever substance it may be. Addictions can be really subtle and you do not know you have a reliance until you try to stop. I will give you an example, sugar. In laboratory tests with rats, they would rather imbibe in sugar when given the choice between feeders of that and cocaine. If you think I jest, try giving up all sources of sugar altogether.
Smoking is one of the main sources of addiction that people commonly will think about. There has been great success with hypnosis in that area. Hypnosis is just another form of causing the mind to make a choice. Most hypnotherapists will give a mantra to repeat when you begin therapy. This mantra is a form of meditation.
The beauty of meditation that it is free, you can do it anywhere anytime (not while driving please), and is rather simple in nature. You need no special equipment. You don’t need to sit cross-legged. You can sit in a chair. One of the best forms of meditation techniques for beginners is a guided The benefits of guided meditation are that it takes all the stress out of wondering how to do it. You just follow along.
Free Guided Meditation
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So if you don’t already meditate – why not?
In this podcast, you will learn:
- Specific benefits of meditation.
- Mindfulness meditation benefits.
- Some interesting statistics about meditation.
Join us on this episode of Unlocking Your Truth, Physical Benefits Of Meditation, and learn all about how meditation can help you with what ails you.
Overcome Life’s Challenges With Life Activations
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Unlocking Your Truth is my weekly radio show. During the one-hour show, we discuss all things metaphysical such as the Physical Benefits of Meditation Are Amazing! And much more! The show airs on CIVL 101.7 FM at 7-8 PM (Pacific Time) every Tuesday evening or live-stream the show at CIVL.ca.
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