I have shared a lot of information on the mental aspects of meditation. I have discussed the mental benefits, how it affects the brain, and why it works from a consciousness perspective. However, there is more to meditation than just the mental aspects. It also has a profound effect on the body. Mediation can actually help your body heal. I am going to discuss six ways meditation can improve your physical health. It is important to understand how to utilize this powerful tool to its full potential. Mediation is a great facilitator of the mind body connection.
Decreased Stress
I have discussed this particular fact several times in my previous posts. It is the most widely accepted fact about meditation there is. This is because people are able to feel a tangible difference in how relaxed they are with just a few breaths. Stress occurs when the brain releases cortisol. Cortisol is called the stress hormone. It in turn produces other chemicals called cytokines. Cytokines are inflammation producing chemicals. These chemicals are an evolutionary survival adaptation. They trigger the fight or flight instinct. However, our bodies were not designed to have these chemicals flooding our system on a continuous basis. Prolonged exposure to these chemicals has hazardous effects to our health. Numerous studies have shown that mediation reduces the production of cortisol and cytokines. That is why meditation is able to reduce your stress levels. It also produces other calming neurochemicals such as dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins to calm your mind and relax your body.
Reduces or Prevents Some Neurodegenerative Diseases
Closely related to stress reduction is the slowing or complete eradication of some neurodegenerative diseases. A study conducted by the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, found dramatic reduction if not complete obliteration of neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s. After eight weeks of mediation, study participants with Alzheimer’s were shown to either have significantly slower or eliminated progression of the disease compared to those who didn’t participate in the study. More research needs to be done on this but results from this and similar studies look promising.
Improved Heart Health
We all hope our heart will always beat strong. Unfortunately, with today’s western lifestyle this is not always the case. It is easy to see how reduced stress has a positive effect on heart health. However, how much of an effect has not always been clear. In the November 2012 edition of Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, a study was published where 201 participants with coronary heart disease were given the choice of taking a class on transcendental meditation or trying to improve their health by better diet and exercise. Five years later those who chose the class on transcendental meditation had reduced their risk of heart attack, stroke, and death by a staggering 48%. This study shows a direct correlation between mediation and a healthier heart. Just imagine what mediation combined with improved diet and exercise can do.
Reduced Blood Pressure
The next logical conclusion with improved heart health is reduced blood pressure. The key point to be made with this improved health benefit is how it reduces blood pressure. Mediation causes the production of nitric oxide which relaxes the body and reduces blood pressure. A study conducted by Massachusetts General Hospital found that 64% of the study participants who mediated regularly for three months were able to reduce their prescribed medication. This led to an overall improved quality of life.
A Better Pain Killer than Morphine
This one may be a little hard to believe, but it is true. The way meditation is able to reduce pain in your body is by calming the somatosensory cortex in the brain. This is the part of our brain that is responsible for perceiving the sense of touch. It processes stimuli received from the skin, muscles, and joints. This area of the brain also processes temperature, pressure, and pain. A research study was done by Wake Forest Baptist University. It found that mediation was able to reduce pain intensity by 40% and alleviate the discomfort of pain by 57%. Morphine and other strong pain killers were only able to achieve both of these at 25 %. What really makes this study so fascinating is it was able to be duplicated by the University of Montreal that found almost identical results. In essence mediation is able to increase your pain tolerance and significantly reduce the brains perception of the severity of the pain.
Mediation Can Keep You Younger Longer
Ok, I’m going to take you back to Biology class. Remember when you first learned about genetics and chromosomes. You may recall the term Telomeres. If you can’t that is ok. I am more than happy to share. Telomeres are the end caps of your chromosomes. They offer protection for the cell’s chromosomes. They are also key components is anti-aging science. A study performed at the University of California at Davis discovered that mediation stimulates the production of telomerase, the enzyme that helps create telomeres. The increased telomerase activity substantially improves the strength and length of telomeres. The longer your telomeres are the longer you are likely to live and less you are likely to age.
These six examples show how meditation has a profound effect on your physical health and wellbeing. The results of all the research studies are incredible. Meditation really does a body good.