Meditation’s Not Just For Monks – 5 Scientific Ways It’s Good For Your Health

Buddhists and Eastern philosophers have known it for thousands of years, and modern neuroscience has mounting evidence to prove it: a regular practice of meditation is wildly good for the mind, body and spirit. The brain is responsible for so many vital functions, from   breathing to emotions to problem solving, and mindfulness meditation has recently been receiving the spotlight in science for its quantifiable mental, physiological and neurological advantages.

What Is Mindfulness Meditation?

Mindfulness can be described as simply “being fully in the moment” or “being present with your awareness.” For Buddhists, it is one step toward enlightenment. For the average American, designated time to meditate can be a much-needed antidote to a hectic way of life, full of constant phone calls, emails, travel and over stimulation. For those recovering from injury or disease, or those who suffer from anxiety and depression, deep relaxation can even be a tool for healing.  Mindfulness is a way of focusing awareness in the present moment, and meditation is one avenue to practice and strengthen mindfulness.

The great thing is, you don’t have to be a monk to reap the benefits of meditation – anyone can practice it nearly anywhere, anytime. In our Western, stressed out world, it’s quickly catching on as a profound addition to any lifestyle. Here are 5 ways neuroscience and ancient wisdom are colliding to pave a real, accessible and healthy way forward for many people.

1.  Improves cognitive functioning

Since the core of mindfulness is paying attention to the current moment, meditation has been shown to improve concentration, increase multi-tasking abilities, strengthen memory, heighten attention to minute details and lengthen attention spans.1 One effect of         long-term meditation is increased activity in the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for learning and memory.2 One 2012 study showed significantly more activity in the frontal gray matter (the region of the brain responsible for focus) of multi-taskers who meditate compared with those who don’t. Another 2007 study tracked meditators’ ability to catch a very brief, tiny detail in a series of rapid images; they did better than non-meditators. The brain, through   meditation, is able to more fully focus on one activity at a time and also switch between them with less stress and distraction.3

2.  Reduces stress

Because meditation helps bring attention the current moment, it also relieves the stress and anxiety that occur when our brains automatically get distracted by negative thought patterns and stressful memories or worries. The ability to healthfully “let go” and truly live in the present may be one of the most profound benefits of meditation. This type of “brain training” helps people adapt to changes more easily and move more fluidly through challenges, thereby reducing the build up of stress.4

The deep relaxation that occurs during meditation is much different from lounging on the couch; a mindfulness practice has been shown to help people better regulate alpha waves in the brain and reduce the presence of the stress hormone cortisol in the bloodstream.5 Relieving stress leads to countless other health benefits, such as lowering blood pressure6, improving immunity, spurring growth hormones that aid in repairing cells and tissue, and maintaining health into old age.7

3.  Helps regulate emotions

Because meditation can significantly reduce stress and anxiety, this also plays a large part in managing emotions and empathy. Numerous studies have found that long-term meditation can cut the recurrence of depression by 50%.8 Better control of alpha waves helps the brain process pain and emotions. One study in 2011 found that daily    meditation could shift frontal brain activity toward “positive, approach-oriented states.”9 Also, meditators have measurably higher levels of empathy toward other living beings; a 2008 study which exposed   subjects to others’ suffering showed increased activity in meditators’ temporal parietal junctures, the part of the brain responsible for empathy.10

 

What may be even more novel is the finding that the human brain is extremely changeable, thanks to a phenomenon known as brain plasticity. Rather than maintaining a fixed personality or mood state once a person reaches adulthood, even older adults can experience tremendous change in brain functioning with positive activities like meditation.11

4.  May help relieve chronic pain

The aspect of mindfulness that helps regulate emotions may also play a role in reducing pain in chronic sufferers. If you can imagine that emotional pain like anxiety and depression are formed along negative thought patterns in the brain, and meditation helps someone detach from those emotions to form a healthier pattern, the same may be true for physical pain. The research is still new on this front, but researchers have found that through a “body scan” technique of mindfulness meditation, people are able to become more aware of their bodily sensations.12 Meditators are better able to adjust the “sensory volume knob” in their bodies and become adept at turning attention away from painful experiences.13

5.  Increases joy, contentment and happiness overall.

The bottom line of meditation is that all of these effects combined – improved mood, less anxiety, better immunity, less stress, cognitive awareness and emotional regulation – all lead to a generally higher state of joy and happiness in life. Regular meditation has been proven to increase activity in the frontal lobe of the brain, the area responsible for attitudes and emotions.14 Putting conscious effort into changing one’s state of mind, and thereby altering ingrained patterns and habits, can have lasting effects in every realm of life.

To the casual observer, it may seem like nothing is happening during meditation, but conversely, many subtle changes are taking place in the neural pathways of the brain. Slowing down with intention can actually provide your body the resources it needs to speed up thinking, boost recovery and increase happiness.

Taking Action:

This in itself is worthy of an entire article dedicated to the meditation practice alone.   In a few sentences, start with 5 minutes a day sitting in a comfortable position.  Focus on your breathing.  Keep a notebook and pen next to you to help with the overflow of “things to do tomorrow” thoughts.  This will help to see what “chatter” you have in that moment and help you to stay seated.  Write it down, then go back to the breath.    Just sit and breathe!    ; )

By Isaac Chenevey & Nancy Woo

 

Article References

1 Psychiatry Research: NeuroImaging. Abstract. “Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density”, Volume 191, Issue 1 , Pages 36-43, 30 January 2011. Web.  http://www.psyn-journal.com/article/S0925-4927(10)00288-X/abstract

2 Sindya N. Bhanoo.  “How Meditation May Change The Brain”  New York Times. January 28, 2011.  Web. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/28/how-meditation-may-change-the-brain/

3  Maria Konnikova.  “The Power of Concentration”  New York Times. December 15, 2012.  Print & Web. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/16/opinion/sunday/the-power-of-concentration.html?pagewanted=all&_r=2&

4 Sandra Blakeslee.  “Study Suggests Meditation Can Help Train Attention”  New York Times.  May 8, 2007.  Web. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/08/health/psychology/08medi.html

5 National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Institute of Health.  Abstract.  “Effect of Buddhist meditation on serum cortisol and total protein levels, blood pressure, pulse rate, lung volume and reaction time.”  Physiol Behav. 1991 Sep;50(3):543-8 Web. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1801007

6 Roni Caryn Rabin.  “Can Meditation Curb Heart Attacks?”  New York Times.  November 20, 2009.  Web. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/20/can-meditation-curb-heart-attacks/

Anastasia Stephens. “Relax—It’s Good For You.”  The Sydney Morning Herald.  August 20, 2009.  Web.  http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/relax–its-good-for-you-20090819-eqlo.html#ixzz1kQtHr9Pm

Mia Hansson. “NHS recognises that mindfulness meditation is good for depression.” theguardian. February 26, 2013. Web.  http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/feb/26/mindfulness-meditation-depression-nhs

Maria Konnikova.  “The Power of Concentration”  New York Times. December 15, 2012.  Print & Web.  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/16/opinion/sunday/the-power-of-concentration.html?pagewanted=all&_r=2&

10  Sindya N. Bhanoo.  “How Meditation May Change The Brain”  New York Times. January 28, 2011.  Web. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/28/how-meditation-may-change-the-brain/

11  Institute of Noetic Sciences. “Meditation Research” 2013.  Web. http://noetic.org/meditation-bibliography/meditation-research/

12  Mia Hansson. “NHS recognises that mindfulness meditation is good for depression.” theguardian. February 26, 2013. Web.  http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/feb/26/mindfulness-meditation-depression-nhs

13  Anne Trafton. “The Benefits of Meditation”  MITnews. May 5, 2011.  Web. http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2011/meditation-0505.html

14  Institute of Noetic Sciences. “Meditation Research” 2013.  Web. http://noetic.org/meditation-bibliography/meditation-research/