wellness
Why You Should Start Meditating In 2022
Check out the 6 reasons below why you should start meditating in 2022!
Over the recent years, the ancient Vedic practice of meditation has visibly sparked interest in other cultures not without a reason. Apparently, meditation has copious health-giving benefits which is only confirmed in research that seems to come up nearly every week. What exactly are those and why should you start meditating right now?
MEDITATION PRESERVES THE AGEING BRAIN
The spectrum of physiological changes that happen in our bodies as we age is exceptionally wide and does not anyhow spare the brain. As the years pass, the brain’s cortical thickness, that is expressed by the volume of the neuron-containing grey matter, notably decreases and that is why we experience harder times thinking clearly, remembering things and associating facts. Meanwhile, studies have shown that regular long-time meditators have much better-preserved brains than their non-meditating counterparts. Although the grey matter of the meditating people still had to do with some loss, it was definitely not as pronounced and significant.
MEDITATION CLEARS YOUR MIND AND HELPS YOU FOCUS ON IMPORTANT MATTERS
Research has proven that meditation substantially reduces the activity in the default mode network (DMN) in the brain that is specifically active when we do not focus our thoughts on anything in particular but experience wandering thoughts about nothing specified. Not only does it sharpen our ability to concentrate our thoughts on the actually important matters but it also makes us happier - other studies show that the more we stay in the default thinking mode, the less content we are with our lives. Moreover, it has been documented as well that once we focus more on the more significant stuff when meditating regularly, we do it with more precision and efficiency than non-meditating people.
MEDITATION REDUCES THE SYMPTOMS OF CHRONIC STRESS, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY AND PAIN
Science is unequivocal about this - meditation effectively mitigates the symptoms of chronic stress, depression, anxiety and pain. Not only does it have a comparable success rate as antidepressants but the positive effects seem to be maintained for years to come. It does so via multiple pathways besides the already mentioned decreasing the DMN activity in the brain - it lowers the stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system that is associated with the fight-or-flight response, decreases the levels of stress-related hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, lowers heart rate and blood pressure as well as many more. That is why if you struggle with any of these conditions or have a more stressful time than usual, meditation might be the cure to your ailments. As a useful fact, mindfulness meditation was shown to be more effective than just breathing-based meditation in reducing the symptoms of anxiety and stress.
MEDITATION IMPROVES MEMORY
Based on what has been confirmed by numerous studies, it is undeniable that meditation improves your memory, both the short-term and the long-term. It comes in especially handy if you have a lot to remember on a regular basis, nonetheless such a benefit is without a doubt useful for everybody.
MEDITATION HELPS YOU MAINTAIN A MORE FAVOURABLE CARDIOVASCULAR PROFILE
Above, it has been mentioned that meditation lowers the stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system and the levels of stress-related hormones. Such changes only positively influence cardiovascular health and are reflected in lower blood pressure and a more controlled, healthy heart rate that is synchronised with the former. The tissues are better oxygenated which leads to the lactate concentration being much lower. Besides, one’s lipid profile is also greatly improved when meditating frequently - lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol as well as higher HDL cholesterol can be seen among the meditators. At this point, a premise can be posed that meditation contributes to lowering one’s cardiovascular risk.
MEDITATION HELPS YOU CONQUER UNHEALTHY HABITS
Apparently, with more focus, calmness and sharpness of mind there comes a higher motivation for improving your life and abandoning unhealthy, detrimental habits. Studies have shown significantly higher success rates among the meditators in dumping addictions like smoking or drinking alcohol. Thus, meditation will probably be useful in conquering any other undesired habits that you want to get rid of and eventually, help you redesign your life into a better, more fulfilling one.