The benefits of daily meditation are truly amazing You’ve likely heard about the health benefits of yoga in improving mental and physical health, as well as improving flexibility, and you might assume that meditation is the same thing. Meditation can certainly be incorporated into yoga, but it is an entirely different practice.
How Meditation Works
Meditation involves calming your mind while maintaining a state of awareness. It is much more than sitting and concentrating in a quiet area for a designated amount of time; it involves clearing your mind of all thoughts, achieving a deep inward peace, and maintaining alertness in the process.
There are specific postures, breathing techniques, and even chants to help facilitate the process. However, none of these are required.
Meditation for beginners can include taking my meditation course or ordering one of my Yoga Nidra recordings. It is not as easy as you may think. Achieving a profound, deep sense of self, a “thoughtless alertness,” may require guidance at first.
3 Benefits of Daily Meditation
Daily meditation reduces stress, activates disease-fighting genes, and boosts immunity.
Daily meditation is a fantastic way to reduce stress. Stress is linked to a whole host of health issues so reducing stress can improve your health. In fact, according to WebMD, 75 to 90% of doctor visits are for stress-related issues.
Harvard University researchers found that deep relaxation causes genetic changes in the body. “Disease-fighting genes” are more active in people who regularly practice meditation, compared with people in the control group.
These genes protect the body against a number of health issues, including:
- Heart Disease
- Asthma
- Infertility
- Arthritis
- Various skin conditions
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
The third benefit of daily meditation is that it helps to boost immunity. Studies show that cancer patients have recovered more effectively due to meditation and are less at risk for developing another tumor.
Meditation makes the body less responsive to stress hormones, which lowers blood pressure, improves blood circulation, improves digestion and immunity, and establishes emotional and neurological balance.
But how?
It largely comes down to hormones. Stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenalin increase blood pressure and heart rate. On the other hand, “feel good” chemicals like serotonin and dopamine are released during relaxation to repair cells.
4 More Incredible Benefits of Meditation
- According to the National Institutes of Health, mindfulness meditation can relieve chronic pain better than standard pain treatment.
- Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, a journal of the American Heart Association, reported that a five-year study on patients who had coronary heart disease found a 48% reduction in deaths, heart attacks, and strokes in those subjects who regularly practiced Transcendental Meditation versus those who did not.
- An analysis of a controlled trial, published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine reported a significantly greater effect of Transcendental Meditation in reducing anxiety over conventional medical treatments and other forms of meditation and relaxation practices.
- According to Behavioral Medicine, Volume 16, there is a 50% reduction in visits to HMO doctors when a relaxation-response-based practice, like meditation, is used.
5 Tips To Incorporate Meditation Into Your Life
It isn’t as difficult as you think to enjoy the benefits of daily meditation. These tips will help you start.
1. Participate In A Group Class. You may be able to find a class in your community specifically dedicated to meditation, or it may be easier to find a yoga class that heavily focuses on meditation, such as Kundalini Yoga or Ananda Yoga. Some people prefer taking these classes long-term as opposed to meditating alone because the group setting helps them to better focus or because they enjoy the sense of community.
2. Use A Video or Recording To Guide Your Meditation. You can order a professional meditation course or recording from Life Essence ReikiSome. You can also find meditation videos online, such as through YouTube. If you prefer, I also offer Yoga Nidra recordings.
3. Devote 20+ Minutes In The Morning Or Evening. Research shows that just 20 minutes of consistent meditation sessions can have tremendous health benefits. Make time before your day starts or before you go to bed to meditate. Some people find that their minds are clearer at these times.
4. Use Free Time To Meditate In Nature. Many people find that sitting in nature – under a tree, on top of a mountain, or in a quiet place in the sunshine – helps them to facilitate the meditation process. It’s also a great way to get outside for Vitamin D.
5. Meditate While At Work. This is certainly the most difficult way to meditate because distractions at work can interrupt the process, but many people have been able to achieve a state of meditation while performing job duties. Talk about being dedicated to the cause!
Everyone is different. Experiment with different ways of meditating to see what you like and what comes easiest for you. I’ll discuss different types of meditation in other articles. Also, try experimenting at different times of the day and for different periods of time, but aim for at least 20 minutes to reap the most benefit. The health effects on your body are well worth the effort!