7 Benefits of Meditation

Y’all have probably heard, read, seen or have had first-hand experience with the benefits of meditation. Feeling ‘calm’ is the most widely publicized benefit. If you have meditated before, even if it is only a few minutes of focused attention on the breath or body, you will probably have experienced a sense of ease or calm afterward. But when meditation is ‘practiced’, which means it is something you regularly engage in at least three times a week, the benefits can go beyond feeling calm.

We are lucky to live at a time when meditation has received attention and funding for research that gives us an understanding of how much our whole body loves to slow down and just be. For instance, a 2014 clinical review of research found that meditation can improve conditions of hypertension, diabetes type 2 and high cortisol and encouraged more research in comparing meditation to therapeutic treatments like some medications.

However, there are some who may try to meditate and find it can bring up raw, emotional pain; if this happens or has happened to you, it doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t meditate and we encourage you to reach out to a licensed mental health professional for compassionate and empathetic listening.

For those who want to find more reasons to meditate, besides the fact that it is free and can improve your overall wellness and quality of life, we have listed below evidence-based benefits of meditation from @Fullscript, our on-line dispensary partner.

And if you are looking for some free guided meditations go to our Resouce>Meditation page.

7 Evidence-Based Benefits of Meditation

1. Promotes better sleep

If you struggle to fall or stay asleep, incorporating meditation into your daily routine may help. A meta-analysis concluded that mindfulness meditation, a practice that involves breathing exercises and awareness of internal and external sensations, may improve sleep parameters, such as sleep quality, efficiency, and latency (the time it takes to fall asleep), in individuals with insomnia. (3)

Research has also shown that individuals with over a decade of meditation experience have enhanced rapid eye movement and spend considerably more time in the slow-wave sleep phase. As a result, individuals who meditate sleep more deeply and enjoy more restorative sleep. (14)

Interestingly, meditation has also been shown to improve melatonin levels, a hormone secreted by the pineal gland that helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle. (14)

2. Reduces stress and anxiety

One of the most popular reasons people choose to meditate is to relieve stress and anxiety. (4) Results are mixed; however, some research provides promising results. For example, a meta-analysis showed a significant improvement in anxiety among highly stressed individuals and patients with chronic anxiety whose anxiety levels ranked in the 80th to 100th percentile range. Following the meditation intervention, anxiety levels of the participants fell between the 53rd to 62nd percentile range. (18)

Meditation may also improve quality of life and reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). (11) A small eight-week trial found that meditation practice effectively reduced perceived levels of stress and improved mood. (6)

3. Improves symptoms of depression

According to recent research, meditation may be used as an adjunctive therapy option for patients with clinical depression. In a six-week trial conducted in 2019, students who meditated daily experienced a decrease in symptoms of depression compared to a control group that did not meditate; however, these effects only persisted in individuals who continued to practice daily meditation post-intervention. (1)

4. Relieves pain

Preliminary research suggests meditation as a potential therapy for individuals experiencing chronic pain. Although more research is needed to make conclusions, it’s believed that meditation reduces the perception of pain by increasing awareness, redirecting the mind’s attention, and promoting acceptance and coping. (5)(24) Further research suggests that meditation may be a beneficial practice for patients experiencing pain and discomfort related to several chronic illnesses, including fibromyalgia, migraine, and irritable bowel syndrome. (26)

Following a ten-week mindfulness meditation program, 65% of subjects reported at least a 33% reduction in pain since the beginning of the trial. (9)

5. Boosts memory and protects against cognitive decline

Practicing daily meditation may help improve memory and slow age-related cognitive decline. Following an eight-week meditation program for individuals with memory issues, participants in one study experienced a significant improvement in memory as well as improved scores on the Trail-Making Test B assessment, a screening tool for dementia. Furthermore, the trial identified a substantial increase in cerebral blood flow to several parts of the brain responsible for memory, including the prefrontal, superior frontal, and superior parietal cortices. (16)

The results of a randomized controlled trial indicated that meditation significantly improves memory and boosts cognitive performance in individuals with subjective cognitive decline, an early sign of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease characterized by self-reported memory loss or confusion. (7)

Long-term meditation may even alter the structure of your brain. As you age, your brain’s cortical thickness shrinks, which can affect memory and executive function. (22) One study determined that regular meditation is associated with increased cortical thickness and may slow age-related thinning of the frontal cortex. (12)

6. Sharpens focus and concentration

Do you have trouble staying focused on a single task? Research suggests that shortly after practicing meditation, your ability to focus and concentrate on a task improves. (13) Meditating for only ten minutes may have an immediate positive effect on your attention. (17)

As mentioned previously, meditation increases blood flow to the brain, which can also boost brain performance. (22) A 2012 cross-sectional study comparing meditating and non-meditating senior adults determined that meditation can positively affect attention and processing speed, particularly in people who have been meditating for more than ten years. (19)

Short-term meditation practice has also been shown to improve focus and concentration, even in individuals with no prior experience with meditation. Evidence shows that meditation training significantly improves working memory, executive function, and sustained attention in as little as four days of practice. (25)

7. Supports cardiovascular health

A meta-analysis of 19 studies determined that meditation may be an effective strategy for lowering both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. (23) Meditation may also have protective effects against cardiovascular disease by improving blood cholesterol levels. (20)

Several studies have demonstrated the usefulness of meditation for reducing heart rate and increasing heart rate variability, two indicators of cardiovascular health. (2) Meditating for only five minutes per day for a total of ten days has been shown to improve heart rate variability. (10)

Source: https://fullscript.com/blog/health-benefits-of-meditation