Meditation is a very ancient practice, which consists of reaching the maximum point of concentration. Many people don’t know why to meditate, but the effects of this practice are impressive.
The main benefits are related to well-being and quality of life. Meditation is nothing more than an inner exercise, a time when we need high levels of concentration to balance the body and mind.
Are you interested in the subject and want to know more? So, continue reading this post and discover seven benefits of meditation!
1. Stress reduction
Stress arises as a response to what is demanded by the body and the mind itself. The greater the anguish caused by situations of pain or anxiety, the worse the human body feels, and there may even be psychological consequences.
When you learn to be more comfortable in this type of situation, it will become less harmful to your body and soul each time you experience it. It is not an attempt to get rid of pain but to learn to live with it in a healthy way.
What changes is not the number of stressful situations, but the way you see them and deal with them. It’s your look that changes, transforming your mind’s reaction.
2. Increased productivity
Increasing productivity is another reason why we should meditate. Constant training of the brain is capable of increasing our ability to concentrate. Thus, day-to-day tasks become simpler activities to carry out.
Furthermore, the time dedicated to these tasks also decreases considerably and the quality of the final product increases. With high concentration levels, we are able to be much more productive, excelling at work and being able to carry out all the activities we have planned for the day.
3. Improving the immune system
A study carried out in the United States by several researchers from the University of California at Berkeley revealed that meditation may be the key to improving the immune system . Healthy professionals were observed over a period of eight weeks.
The study, carried out with control cases, first occurred by measuring the brain activity of all participants before and after the meditations in one of the groups, a procedure that was repeated four months after the test that lasted eight weeks.
After this period, participants in the control group and the meditation group were vaccinated against the flu. It was observed that people who meditated produced higher levels of antibodies.
In other words, participants who meditated developed a greater capacity for immunity against the flu caused by the influenza virus. This demonstrates once again that a healthy connection between mind and body can improve our health and well-being.
4. Reducing Depression in Teens
Another study on meditation, this time carried out in Belgium, demonstrated that the practice is also capable of reducing cases of depression in adolescents. 400 students were observed in various schools in Flanders, all between 13 and 20 years old.
They were subdivided into two groups: students who would participate in the meditation sessions and students who would not participate in them. Previously, all students answered a questionnaire that assessed symptoms of depression and stress.
The group answered the questionnaire again as soon as the training ended and six months after the end of the sessions. The results of the first test showed signs of depression in 21% of participants, which was reduced to 15% after the meditation course.
This shows that meditation can be a tool for treating depression in young patients, promoting non-drug monitoring and reducing the number of cases.
5. Improved sleep quality
In California, researchers sought to evaluate the role of meditation in improving sleep quality . Two groups were observed who suffered from sleeping problems. One underwent conventional sleep hygiene treatments and the other was introduced to meditation sessions.
The group that participated in the sessions showed a reduction not only in sleepless nights, but also in episodes of depression and tiredness. The results were much better than those of the group undergoing conventional therapy.
6. Improved cognition
According to American researchers, in a study on meditation and improving cognition, this activity improves, and can boost, brain training. According to research, it is possible to improve cognition and mood with four days of meditation.
Two groups, one undergoing meditation sessions and the other not, listened to an audio-book and were subsequently evaluated on the following questions:
- humor;
- verbal fluency;
- visual coding;
- working memory.
All of these aspects were improved through the use of meditation sessions. Furthermore, benefits can arise in the short and long term. In other words, this study shows that meditation practices can help improve your brain training.
7. Achievement of psychological well-being
Achieving psychological well-being is another reason to meditate. It is worth saying that people who started this practice showed an increase in mindfulness and also an increase in well-being and a decrease in stress.
Some other actions can be performed in conjunction with meditation, as is the case with yoga and pilates . Thus, the results, with regard to psychological well-being and relaxation , tend to be enhanced.
American researchers carried out a study where it was possible to detect that meditation increased positive emotions in daily experiences over time. These emotions were directly responsible for great personal resources such as mindfulness, social support and purpose in life.
It is also important to highlight that meditating is a practice that develops feelings such as empathy, kindness and compassion, which can be related to oneself or others. In other words, it is a healthy activity that brings countless benefits to your daily life.