Have you ever been stressed out and wondered if you should try meditating, but then laughed off the idea? Meditation delivers excellent health benefits at a bargain price; it’s free. Consider the following medically proven health benefits of regular meditation.
Meditation works to diffuse the impact of stress upon your body. If you're a typical American, you probably live a stressful life and pack too much into your schedule. Even a short stint of meditation--such as fifteen minutes a day--will reduce your body's production of cordisol. What’s cortisol? Cordisol is a hormone your body produces in response to stress; too much cordisol leads to a variety of health issues.
Meditation protects your heart. Every time you meditate, your body responds by lowering your blood pressure and slowing your heart rate. 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 improves mental accuity and mood. 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 found that the monks had enlarged hippocampuses; this part of the brain is responsible for feelings of well being. Overall, meditators report impressive abilities to focus on tasks.
Is it easy to begin a meditation practice? Simply put aside fifteen minutes a day for meditation. Find a quiet place, set a timer, sit comfortably, and close your eyes. Think about one word and nothing else. 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.
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