What are the Benefits of Meditation?
There are many benefits to be derived from a regular practice of meditation, which make a strong case for you to start meditating. Meditation is a relaxing practice, not focused on mental concentration, rather lesser concentration not focused on a particular thought, but floating about in the ether.
At the outset, we find that the regular practice of meditation brings the following benefits.
- Mental Calmness
- Improved concentration
- Rejuvenated mind and body
- Clarity of thought
- Bettered Communication
If you ask most people today, if they know anything about the benefits that come by meditating, they would probably be knowing the above benefits - but there are studies that show that meditation has far reaching benefits that affect the mental, physical and spiritual parts of human beings.
Let us look at some of the benefits to health that can result from meditation.
With the help of meditation, you will begin to feel an overall change in the physiological structure of your body, and it induces the following benefits.
- Brings down your blood pressure
- Lowers the levels of lactate in the blood that are responsible for panic attacks
- It reduces any pains that are caused by tension and stress, like stress-induced headaches, insomnia, muscle pains and so forth
- Results in an increase in the production of serotonin which is a happiness producing chemical that works in the brain.
- Helps your immune system develop
- Increases the levels of energy in your body.
Let us look in detail at some of the points raised above - especially with respect to the physical benefits derived from meditation.
Firstly, let us see the effects of a stressful life on the body. Physical stress stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, causing an increase in the production of stress hormones in the body, like cortisol and adrenaline. An increase in these hormones in the body can cause adverse reactions like a spike in blood pressure, heart rate and so forth, causing a decrease in energy levels and insomnia. Conversely, due to meditation, the body starts to relax, causing the parasympathetic nervous system to start triggering, reducing the production of stress hormones, and brings the body into a state of release and relaxation. This reduction in stress will cause a reduction in the blood pressure, heart rate, and will boost your immunity levels, and oxygen intake. It is this reduction in stress that is responsible for a healthy life.
Emotionally, meditation has a huge impact - and it is highly effective in this area.
It is commonly known that when you start meditating, you become much more aware of your situations, and you are able to encounter and deal with negativity and negative situation with much more ease. Not only changing the mindset, but meditation can actually rewire your brain physically. There are studies that show that meditating actually increases the grey matter present in your brain - this is the region that is responsible for memory, learning, planning, analysing, solving problems and emotional responses. Just this fact alone should be enough to convince you about the benefits of meditation.