By Corina Tan
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Meditation is a practice that trains the mind to focus on a particular thought, object or activity through mindfulness. The process involves purposefully bringing one’s attention to the awareness of the present moment which eventually leads to a mentally and emotionally clear, calm and stable state. Although initially practiced in numerous religions, meditation has become a non-spiritual technique to enhance well-being. The benefits of meditation are said to be numerous and includes inner peace and a deep sense of tranquillity.
IMPROVES FOCUS AND CONCENTRATION
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Studies have found that parts of the brain responsible for learning, memory and focus improved with meditation. There are results that show improved concentration and decision making, as well as increased connectivity in parts of the brain that control attention. Meditation may even reverse parts of the brain that contribute to mind-wandering and worrying. One study found that meditating for just 13 minutes a day enhanced attention and memory after just eight weeks.
REDUCES STRESS
Stress reduction is one of the most common reasons why people try meditation. Under most circumstances, when faced with stress, the human body produces a hormone called Cortisol. A constant release of Cortisol has detrimental effects on the body including increased inflammatory chemicals, sleep disruption, fatigue, brain fog, difficulty sleeping, and the tendency to develop anxiety and depression. Meditation has lived up to its reputation of being able to reduce Cortisol and therefore lower levels of stress.
MANAGES ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION
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The art of meditation helps train the mind to focus on the present, making it less likely for it to ruminate on anxious thoughts of the unknown future. Uncontrolled thoughts of uncertainties may cause anxiety, and foreboding feelings of depression will follow. A regular practice of mindfulness can interrupt cycles of negative thinking. The mind tends to get stuck in an obsessive pattern of self-criticism, hopelessness and the inability to see solutions. During meditation, this default network of unhelpful thoughts is deactivated, while more blood flows to the prefrontal cortex of the brain. With that, there is more impulse control, more emotional regulation and more perspective.
PAIN MANAGEMENT
Meditation has been recommended by many healthcare practitioners as a treatment plan for managing pain. In a 2020 study of over 6400 participants, meditation reduced pain in those suffering from post-surgical, acute and chronic pain. Although the knowledge of pain exists, the enhanced ability to cope with pain reduced the sensation of pain itself. While recognising the existence of pain, people are not ensnared or crippled by it and this itself is an extremely beneficial coping mechanism.
CONTROLS BLOOD PRESSURE
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Over time, meditation can improve physical health by reducing strain on the heart. When a person has high blood pressure, the heart must work harder to pump blood, leading to poor heart function. Meditation helps to relax the nerve signals that coordinate heart function, blood vessel tension and our “fight or flight” response. Through mindfulness programs, both the systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels are reduced, keeping high blood pressure at bay.
Many other benefits of meditation have been recorded including addiction management, improved sleep, better emotional health, enhanced self-awareness, as well as increased positive feelings of kindness and love. The best part about it is that we don’t need any special equipment to start. Trying it out in whatever style that is comfortable is a great way to improve quality of life, even if all we have is just a few minutes every day.
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