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In recent years, many scientific studies have focused on the benefits of meditation on our brain.

And the amazing thing is that each study attributes a “new” benefit to meditation. But are these benefits really new?

Indeed, meditation is practiced by our ancestorsfor centuries.

Finally, science and new technologies only confirm the benefits of meditation on the brain.

Meditation has a surprising variety of benefits for our neurons : preservation of gray matter, reduction of activity in the region of the brain linked to consciousness of the "me" (and therefore of the ego) and improved connection between regions of the brain.

In this article, we have compiled the most interesting research on meditation.

All of them indicate that meditation produces measurable results on the most important organ in our body: the brain.

The best part is that these physiological changes in the brain also have psychological benefits.

Several studies have thus looked into the psychic benefits of meditation.

They show that meditation relieves anxiety and the Depression.

Generally speaking, meditation improves concentration and psychological well-being.

Here are the 7 scientifically proven benefits of meditation on your brain:

1. Slows down the aging of the brain

According to a University of California (UCLA) study that looked at aging, the brains of people who have practiced meditation for several years are better preserved than those of people who have not practiced meditation.

People who have been meditating for more than 20 years have a greater amount of gray matter in their brain.

This is not to say that there is no loss of gray matter over time in people who meditate.

On the other hand, this loss is less pronounced than in people who never practice meditation.

"It was thought that the effects of meditation were very localized to a small number of regions of the brain," says Florian Kurth, the author of this study.

“Instead, meditation was found to have a global effect on the entire brain, which spans a large number of regions. "

2. Calms brain activity

One of the most interesting studies in recent years, which was done by Yale University in the United States, found that meditation calms brain activity.

Indeed, meditation decreases the tendency of our brain to wander from thought to thought and thus generate stress.

And since wandering from thought to thought is one of the causes of people who are less happy, who ruminate and worry about the past and the future, meditation is a good remedy to feel better quickly.

Several studies show that meditation can reduce the number of thoughts in the brain.

As a result, you feel less stressed and calmer on a daily basis.

3. Reduces symptoms of depression as well as antidepressants

A study from Johns Hopkin University in Baltimore analyzed the relationship between meditation and its ability to reduce symptoms of depression, as well as ease anxiety and pain.

The results of researcher Madhav Goyal and his team indicate that the effect of meditation is of a magnitude of 0.03.

If this value seems low, keep in mind that the effect of antidepressants is also 0.03 in magnitude.

In light of this study, we understand that the effects of meditation on our brain have incredible power.

Meditation is therefore an active form of brain training.

“A lot of people think that doing meditation is just sitting down and doing nothing. »Explains Mr. Goyal.

“But this perception is wrong. Meditation is active training of the mind to increase our ability to be "mindful". And all forms of meditation have their techniques for actively increasing mindfulness. "

There is no miracle cure - meditation is no exception - to cure people who suffer from depression.

On the other hand, meditation is an effective tool for relieve symptoms and better manage this disease.

4. Improves brain capacity

In 2011, a Harvard University study showed that mindfulness meditation can actually change the structure of the brain.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, in English "Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction " (MBSR), is a form of mindfulness meditation.

In the Harvard study, participants took MBSR sessions.

After 8 weeks of sessions, the researchers observed a increased thickness of the cerebral cortex of the hippocampus (an area associated with memory and our ability to learn).

Likewise, MBSR has the same effect on the cerebral cortex of the brain which regulates the control of our emotions and our "self-referential logic", that is, our way of thinking in correlation with our ego.

But that's not all: MBSR meditation sessions also have reduces the brain volume of the amygdala - the area of ​​the brain responsible for fear, anxiety and stress.

In addition, all these changes were confirmed by the self-assessments of the participants: they all stated that the sessions were lowered their stress level.

This indicates that meditation not only changes the structure of the brain, it also changes our subjective perceptions and our emotions.

In fact, in another study, the same researchers found that when meditation alters regions of the brain related to mood and arousal, participants report a improvement of their general well-being.

Obviously, even if meditation is proven to change the structure of the brain, some skeptics will still think that it does not mean anything.

However, these scientific studies clearly show that these changes in the structure of the brain coincide with a real psychic change in people who practice meditation: an improvement in mood and the feeling of well-being.

5. Improves concentration

It is not just children who are prone to concentration problems. Millions of adults have the same challenges whether or not they have ADD.

This is why it is interesting to point out that one of the most important benefits of meditation is that it improves our ability to concentrate.

In a recent study, researchers analyzed the effect of meditation on the performance of participants in an oral reasoning test.

Only 2 weeks of meditation training was enough to improve the concentration and memory skills of the participants.

This improvement is significant: the scores have indeed increased by 16%.

This is surely because one of the main goals of meditation is to be able to focus all his attention (on an idea, an object or an activity).

So it's hardly surprising that meditation also improves our cognitive abilities when we need it!

But it's still good to know that scientific research backs it up.

Meditation is therefore a great way to improve our concentration both at work and at school.

5. Reduces anxiety and social phobia

Many people learn about meditation to take advantage of one of its main benefits: stress reduction.

Moreover, several studies confirm the validity of this approach.

As noted above, there is a new form of meditation, Stress Reduction from Mindfulness (MBSR - Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in English).

This technique, developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn at Mindfulness Center at the University of Massachusetts, aims to reduce stress levels, both physically and mentally.

Several studies show the benefits of MBSR meditation for anxiety - even several years after the initial 8 week training.

Mindfulness Meditation (Unlike Breath-Based Meditation) dramatically reduces symptoms of anxiety disorders.

Mindfulness meditation can also help people with social phobia.

Indeed, researchers at Stanford University have found that MBSR meditation allows changes in areas of the brain associated with attention.

They also discovered that this form of meditation relieves symptoms of social phobia.

6. Help to overcome an "addiction"

According to several studies, meditation acts directly on areas of the brain related to self-control.

Therefore, it is a particularly effective technique in helping people to overcome several types of addiction.

In particular, one study looked at the effectiveness of meditation in helping people who want to quit smoking.

Specifically, she compared the effectiveness of mindfulness meditation to that of smoking cessation programs.

The results indicate that people who learn the mindfulness technique are very much more likely to quit smoking than people who only follow a traditional program to quit smoking.

These results are confirmed at the end of the initial 8-week training, as well as a follow-up study 17 weeks later.

Researchers believe that meditation is effective because it facilitates the dissociation between the mental state of craving to smoke and the physical act of smoking.

In practice, this means that the desire smoking does not necessarily lead toact To smoke.

So when ex-smokers feel the urge to light up a cigarette, they are more apt to weather the storm.

Other studies confirm that mindfulness meditation, as well as mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (TCBPC), may be helpful in treating other forms of addiction.

7. Help children succeed in school

Children's developing brains may also reap the benefits of meditation, perhaps even more than adult brains.

This is why more and more educators and researchers are interested in the benefits of meditation on children.

More specifically, they are interested in the incorporation of yoga and meditation in the school setting.

Children are exposed to several stressors, at school but also outside of class.

Some American schools have added meditation to their students' daily curriculum and are already reaping the benefits.

For example, the city of San Francisco has decided to add a meditation program (2 daily sessions) in certain schools located in sensitive areas.

The results are surprising: average increase notes and decrease in punishments and absences.

Studies confirm the cognitive and emotional benefits of meditation on students.

However, it will surely take more research before this technique is accepted and used more widely.

Is Meditation Worth Trying?

Of course, meditation is not a quick fix to all problems.

But there is a great deal of evidence that indicates that it brings multiple benefits to people who practice it regularly.

More and more people, and even large companies (Apple, Google, etc.), have thus integrated meditation into their daily program.

In addition, enjoying the benefits of meditation requires little training.

Meditation is therefore well worth a try!

So when you have a few spare minutes, in the morning or in the evening, instead of going on your smartphone or the internet, why not try meditation and try to calm your mind?

Try to be aware of all the thoughts that are going through your head and then just let your thoughts go by without giving importance or judging them.

If all of these studies are correct, just a few minutes of meditation can make a big difference in your daily life.

There you go, now you know the 7 benefits of meditation on your brain :-)

Does it make you want to try? Tell us in the comments. We can't wait to hear from you!

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