Meditation: Why You Should Give It a Try

By Jeff Kucine, DO

Back To Balance

. https://www.drkucine.com/

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Meditation: Why You Should Give It a Try

You may associate meditation with spiritual traditions including Buddhism and Hinduism, but this ancient practice has now made its way into the secular realm and is considered a complementary health practice with verified physical and emotional benefits including reduced stress, better sleep, lower anxiety and an increased attention span.

Meditation is one of the most popular complementary health practices in our country (yoga and chiropractic are the others).

Meditation is “the act of giving your attention to a single thing, either as a religious practice or as a method to become calm or relaxed.” That one thing you give attention to can be the breath moving in and out of your body, a mantra you repeat, or even the voice from a guided meditation leading you into stillness.

By eliminating the stimuli we’re accustomed to, the brain enjoys a welcome break from micromanaging trivial information it’s bombarded with so often. With this purposeful lapse in stimuli, the brain can become more efficient in processing weightier thoughts, and as a result, your focus sharpens and attention span increases.

People with a regular meditation practice report improved memory and reaction time, coupled with lower stress and anxiety. An overall decrease in worry is another positive benefit, likely brought on by a focus on being present in the moment during meditation that carries over into other areas of life.

There is scientific evidence that meditation can play a role in slowing the effects of Alzheimer’s Disease and can even lower your risk of developing age-related dementia.

As stressors decrease, compassion and kindness often increase, leading to healthier, more satisfying relationships. The result: a happier, more contented “you.”

Meditation is known to have positive benefits on the cardiovascular system because it lowers blood pressure, lowers cortisol levels and can reduce the risk of hypertension. The practice can have a positive impact on your immune system and can help your body increase its ability to heal itself.

When your body is stressed, blood pressure increases and your heart beats faster, increasing your rate of breathing and the blood flow to muscles in what is typically known as the “fight or flight response.” That stress response doesn’t serve us well and can have dramatically adverse effects on health.

By sitting quietly and breathing deeply for 10-20 minutes, the body and mind relax – blood pressure lowers, our pulse rate calms and we achieve a state of peace. Even practicing meditation for just 10 minutes each day can have positive benefits for health including decreased anxiety, improved cardiovascular health and an increased ability to relax.

Meditation is a practice, not a skill. With practice, your ability to meditate will improve. You will start to notice benefits when you practice meditation for just 10-15 mins daily or a few times a week. You’ll never know what benefits you’re missing until you do.