HOW MEDITATION AFFECTS THE BRAIN
We all know that a regular meditation practice has amazing benefits. Like reducing stress, muscle tension and helps with the management of chronic pain, anxiety and depression.
But how does meditation actually affect the brain?
Meditation ultimately affects us in three different parts: the physical, the conscious & sub conscious mind.
In 2012 a study was conducted on 100 individuals where researchers had 50 of the participants mediate and the other 50 did not. From this, they did brain scans on the participants and it showed that the people who meditated had more folds on the outer layer of the brain which suggested they had better ability to process information.
Meditation increases regional cerebral blood flow in the frontal and anterior regions of the brain and it has been found that people that meditate can do tasks a lot more efficiently. Furthermore, studies have found that when you age your gray matter in your brain which contains neurons decreases, however when you meditate that gray matter actually increases over time which in turn slows down the aging process.
Regular meditation practice also decreases symptoms of anxiety and depression. By practicing meditation regularly your mind is able to take a break, and the deep relaxation helps your mind ease and thoughts release.
So how do I actually practice it?
Meditation doesn’t have to be a chore and it shouldn’t be. Meditation techniques can be practiced anywhere at any time. Like taking a couple of deep breaths and feeling your body rise and fall, you can instantly feel more calm and relaxed.
Meditation can be seen as the yoga of the brain. At first it’s hard, you feel stiff, you don’t know if you're doing it right but over time you get better. You can feel the benefits and your mind melt into the rhythm when practiced regularly.
Overall, having a regular deep breathing and/or meditation practice truly can create significant long term change not only on your mood or body but your brain as well.
References
National Centre for Complementary and Integrative Medicine. (2016). Meditation: In Depth. Retrieved from: https://nccih.nih.gov/health/meditation/overview.htm
Sharma.H. (2015). Meditation Process and Effects. Vol 36. Page: 233-237. doi: 10.4103/0974-8520.182756
Image: https://www.mindful.org/5-ways-to-nourish-your-brain/