17 Health Benefits of Meditation Everyone Should Know.

Do you know about mindfulness meditation?

No ? So let me introduce you to this amazing practice.

Mindfulness meditation is simply being fully aware of the present moment, its sensations, thoughts and emotions. without passing judgment.

It has been used for millennia for its health benefits, including disease, pain management, sleep and emotional control.

Here are 17 health benefits of meditation that everyone should know about. Look :

the benefits of meditation on your mental and physical health

1. Meditation decreases stress

Recent research published in the journal Health Psychology have shown that meditation not only makes you feel less stressed, but is also directly linked to lowering levels of the stress hormone called cortisol.

2. It allows you to get to know yourself better

Meditation helps us see beyond appearances to better analyze ourselves objectively. A study published in the journal Psychological Science shows that mindfulness meditation helps overcome our common "blind spots". Indeed, these blind spots tend to amplify or diminish our own faults from what they really are.

3. It allows better success in exams

Research from the University of California at Santa Barbara has shown that students who practiced meditation performed better on their exams and saw improved memory efficiency.

"Our research suggests that the practice of mindfulness meditation is an effective technique for improving the cognitive functions of the brain, which opens up wide avenues for research," say the study leaders.

4. It helps people with arthritis manage their stress better

A 2011 study published in Annals of Rheumatic Disease shows that while learning to meditate does not help reduce pain in people with rheumatoid arthritis, it does help reduce stress and fatigue.

5. It modifies the brain to better protect it

The University of Oregon has shown that practicing mindfulness meditation can cause changes in the brain that may protect it from mental illness.

The practice of meditation is associated with increased connection signals in the brain. This is called the density of axons.

Likewise, protective tissue (myelin) increases around axons in the cingulate region of the forebrain.

6. It works like the brain's "volume knob"

Have you ever wondered why mindfulness meditation helps you feel more settled and zen?

This is because it helps the brain to better control pain and process emotions better, especially by controlling alpha rhythms in the cortex.

Indeed, these rhythms play an important role in the orientation of our attention, according to a study by the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.

7. It allows you to listen to music better

Mindfulness meditation improves our attentive listening to music. It helps us get the most out of the hearing experience, according to a study in the journal Psychology of Music.

8. It helps us even when we are not practicing

You don't have to be meditating to still feel its benefits on the brain.

This is the conclusion of a study published in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. She shows that the amygdala, the region of the brain that responds to emotional stimuli, is changed by meditation. This effect persists even when the person is not actively meditating. Incredible, right?

9. It can help your doctor work better

Doctors, your attention please! Mindfulness meditation can help you take better care of your patients.

Research from the University of Rochester Medical Center has shown that meditating physicians are less likely to be judgmental, have better self-awareness, and listen better when it comes to interacting with their patients. .

10. She makes you a better person

Yes, meditation also benefits the people around us. Why ? Because it develops our sensitivity to the suffering of others, according to a study published in the journal Psychological Science.

According to research conducted by Harvard University, meditation also leads to more virtuous and positive behavior.

11. It allows the elderly to feel less alone

Loneliness in older people can be dangerous in the sense that it can increase the risk of developing certain diseases.

But research conducted by the University of California, Los Angeles, has shown that meditation helps reduce feelings of loneliness in older people. It also strengthens their health by reducing the risk of inflammation.

12. It can lower your health care bill

Not only will your health benefit from the practice of meditation, but your wallet as well.

Indeed, the research published in the American Journal of Health Promotion have shown that the practice of meditation is associated with lower medical costs, compared to the medical costs of people who do not practice meditation.

13. It decreases the symptoms of colds

In addition to giving you the keys to a healthy lifestyle, practicing mindfulness meditation reduces the unpleasant effects of the common cold.

Indeed, according to research from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine, people who practice meditation miss fewer days from work due to respiratory tract infections. They are also sick for a shorter time and the symptoms are less severe.

14. It decreases the risk of depression in pregnant women

Almost one in five women will experience a depressive episode during their pregnancy. But women who are at risk for depression can reap the benefits of mindfulness meditation.

"The research on the impact of meditation and yoga is very encouraging," Dr. Muzik, assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Michigan, said in a statement.

"This study forms the basis for further research into how meditation and yoga can lead to feelings of confidence and positivity during pregnancy."

15. It also decreases the risk of depression in teens

Teaching teens about meditation in school programs could help them be less stressed. They would suffer less from anxiety and depression, according to a study from the University of Leuven.

16. It helps you lose weight

Are you trying to lose a few pounds? Meditation might just be your best friend. In any case, this is revealed by a survey of psychologists conducted by the American Psychological Association.

17. It helps to sleep better

We saved the best for last. A study from the University of Utah showed that practicing meditation can not only help you have better control over your emotions and moods, but it can also help you sleep better.

"People who regularly practice meditation describe better control of their emotions and behaviors throughout the day including at bedtime because they have less emotional activity. As a result, they have better quality. of sleep and are less stressed, ”said Holly Rau, study leader.

How to start mindfulness meditation?

Are you convinced of the benefits of mindfulness meditation? Great !

So, I bring you this easy video exercise that you can do anywhere, even on public transport. Look :

Do you like this trick ? Share it with your friends on Facebook.

Also to discover:

Meditation: The 7 Scientifically Proven Benefits for Your Brain.

6 Health Benefits of Knitting That No One Knows About.


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