What are the Health Benefits of Meditation?

Meditation

There was a time not too long ago when meditation was still seen as something reserved for new agers and spiritualists. However, just like many Eastern practices, science is now finding more and more benefits to meditation that can have a direct effect on your health. Let’s take a look at some of the scientifically proven health benefits of mediation.

Stress and Anxiety Reduction

One of the most direct effects of meditation on your everyday life and overall health is stress and anxiety reduction. According to a recent study, transcendental meditation has been shown to significantly reduce anxiety in a number of patients. Furthermore, these results seem to be even more conclusive for those suffering from severe anxiety.

Some research has even shown that meditation can help not only with stress, but stress-related disorders such as PTSD, fibromyalgia, and irritable bowel syndrome as well.

Improves your Attention Span

Meditation has often been referred to as a workout for your attention span, and in many ways, it is.

A study found that people who went through an eight-week mindfulness meditation program had a heightened ability to maintain and reorient their attention. Another similar study that was performed on human resource workers found that those who practiced mindfulness meditation on a regular basis had a better ability to stay focused on one task.

Improves Mood and Emotional Health

Some meditation methods have also been shown to improve the self-image of practitioners, as well as improve their outlook on life. Mindfulness meditation has been shown to be particularly effective against depression symptoms.

People like Ilchi Lee also recommend adding laughter therapy in addition to daily meditation, as a treatment against depression.

One of the suggested reasons why mediation is such a great cure for depression is that it inhibits the production of cytokines in the body, which are chemicals that can cause inflammation and contribute to depression symptoms.

Can have a Positive Impact on Memory Loss

Another area where meditation has been shown to be beneficial is with memory loss. Multiple studies have found that meditation could increase mental quickness, attention, and memory in older practitioners.

Kirtan Kriya, a meditation technique that uses a combination of chants, mantras, and repetitive finger motions, has been shown to be especially effective in improving the ability of older practitioners to perform various memory tasks. Meditation has also been shown to partially improve the memory of people suffering from dementia as well.

Helps Fight Addiction

Multiple studies have also shown that meditation can help people suffering from addiction. Meditation allows practitioners to redirect their attention away from their source of addiction and practice their willpower. It has also been shown to help sufferers understand the factors responsible for their addiction and control their impulses and emotions.

Conclusion

As you can see, meditation can have a profound impact on your overall health. Incorporating meditation into your daily routine takes very little effort, so try and see if you could incorporate it as part of your everyday routine if you want to reap its benefits.