Does Meditation Really Produce Health Benefits?

Have you ever considered taking up meditation but pooh-poohed it as something only for Tibetan monks? Scientists have determined meditation produces many health benefits for those who practice it regualrly. The following health benefits are all attributed to regular meditation practice.

Meditation is an excellent stress-buster. Most Americans complain they are experiencing too much stress, but relief is available if you’ll only reach inside you and find it. Even as little as fifteen minutes of meditation will lower your body’s level of cortisol. What’s so bad about cordisol? It’s a hormone your body produces when stressed as part of your fight or flight response, and it can wreak havoc on your nerves and immune system if produced in high levels.

Meditation protects your heart. When you practice meditation, your blood pressure naturally lowers and your heart rates slows. It is also believed to bolster your body’s ability to heal, which is why the Mayo Clinic recommended daily meditation for its cancer patients and provides classes on how to meditate.

Meditation sharpens the mind and makes you feel good. Scientists have compared the brains of monks (who have established meditation practices) with average people (who don’t meditate) and found the monks had more brain activity than the average people. They were also found to have enlarged hippocampuses, which is the part of your brain that exudes feelings of well being. In general, people who practice meditation see improvement in mental focus.

Is it easy to begin a meditation practice? Simply put aside fifteen minutes a day for meditation. Find a comfortable place to sit (where it is quiet), set a timer, and close your eyes. Focus on a single word and repeatedly guide your mind back to that thought. Distracting thoughts will try to dissuade you, but you will ignore those thoughts and return to the one chosen word. Stay still and focus on that word until your alarm goes off. Increase your meditation commitment by small increments until you’ve established a meditation practice you find rewarding.