Evidence-Based Benefits of Meditation
I am fairly new to meditation and so far, I really love it! It’s benefits are obvious to me and I can feel deep changes within myself that I never even realized needed changing. Before I started meditating, I had this preconceived notion that I would not be able to focus long enough to reap its benefits. My mind often wanders and quickly becomes entangled in planning. My initial goal was to start off with a 5 minute meditation. Honestly, I couldn't do it, so I ended up starting with little 1 minute meditations where I solely focused on breath. From there, I’ve been able to expand my practice to about 15-20 minutes at a time and have found several different types of mediation that work well to keep my focus and attention.
Even when I'm not thinking about anything in particular, my mind is active. It's a challenge to shut it off, even for a second. There is a term for these mind wandering thoughts. It's referred to as our default mind network (DMN) or simply referred to as the “monkey mind.” This is when the mind is active, not thinking about anything specific, but freely moving from thought to thought. This mind network has been found to be associated with being less happy, worrying, and other ruminating thoughts. Research has shown that meditation can quiet these thoughts and lessen the negative effects of the DMN. Even better, meditators have the ability to quickly snap out of these thoughts.
Here are some evidence based benefits of meditation:
1. Stress Reduction
This is probably the most common reason people start meditation. It helps reduce stress by lowering cortisol levels in the body. Cortisol can be described as a stress hormone that is released by our body during times of stress. Meditation has also been shown to decrease symptoms of stress related diseases such as post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), fibromyalgia, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
2. Supports Emotional Health
Many studies have shown improved symptoms in persons suffering from depression as well as less production of cytokines, which are inflammatory chemicals that affect mood.
3. Reduces Anxiety
When we reduce stress, oftentimes that means we reduce anxiety as well. Meditation has shown to decrease levels of anxiety in a meta analysis of 1,300 persons.
4. Enhances Self Awareness
During meditation you become more aware of your habits and your thoughts. Personal challenges often come to light with your current emotional state. The connection of mind and body surely becomes enhanced with meditation practice.
5. Improved Attention
Daily practice for 13 minutes a day showed improved attention and memory in one study over a course of 8 weeks. Meditators tend to have an easier time focusing on a visual task, while concurrently keeping negative thoughts away.
6. Lowers Blood Pressure
A meta-analysis of 12 studies with nearly 1000 participants found that meditation lowers blood pressure, with the most effective results in the older population. It does this by slowing the nerve signals related to our fight or flight response and signals related to blood vessel tension. Of course when our heart rate is lower and body is in a restful state, the heart does not have to work as hard to pump blood through our body.
7. Assists with Addiction
Meditation can be helpful in increasing your self-control and awareness of triggers for addictive behaviors. It also seems to help with managing impulses and understanding reasons for engaging in certain behaviors. Practicing transcendental meditation for persons with alcohol addiction was associated with lower levels of stress, cravings, and alcohol use after 3 months. Mindfulness meditation has shown to be effective in dealing with emotional binge eating.
8. Improves Aging Memory
There is some evidence that multiple meditation styles can increase attention, memory, and mental quickness in older volunteers. Persons with age-related memory loss have shown improved performance on neuropsychological tests and there is more research being done on persons suffering from dementia.
There are certainly many other benefits such as more acts of kindness, improved sleep, and decreased pain. It can be different for everyone depending on what you struggle with. That being said, meditation holds benefits for everyone. As faulty individuals, we all struggle with something. For me, I’m slowly learning to accept imperfection. I have learned how to let go and be in the moment in order to truly appreciate and absorb the present. Currently, I’m using a mix of guided meditation, some with thoughtful prompting questions or stories.
For more information on starting your meditation practice, check out an earlier article entitled “Beginning Meditation.” It has a brief instruction on following your breath and descriptions of different types of meditation practices. Also, on the bottom of the article are a few links to some guided meditations.
The 10 Percent Happier app has some really great guided meditations by various teachers in the field if you're looking for some variety.
Do you struggle with side planks? Try a modified version on your forearm and knee. You can add different exercises in this position to work the side body while working towards a full side plank.