The benefits of meditation
Meditation has been around for thousands of years. The practice originated in India and spread to China. The cultures who practiced it believed that meditation would awaken the mind. It did not become popular in Western Culture until the 70s.
In 1979, Jon Kabot-Zinn founded the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Clinic (MBSR) in Massachusetts. Meditation finally began to be discovered in the West as a tool to become healthier.
The Benefits of Meditation
During a mindfulness-based meditation session, you focus your attention and let go of those thoughts crowding your mind and causing stress.
After Dr. Kabot-Zinn opened his MBSR clinic at the University of Massachusetts, researchers began studying the effects of meditation on those who practiced it. Here is what they found.
Reduces Stress
There are several types of meditation that help reduce stress and anxiety.
Guided meditation: Guided meditation uses imagery and visualization. It helps you form visuals of places that make you happy and relaxed.
Mindful Meditation: Mindful meditation is good for chronic stress because you gain an increased awareness of the present. You learn to observe but not judge your thoughts.
Body scan meditation: Body scan meditation works on relaxing muscle groups. Not only does this type of meditation can help relax your muscles, and it helps relieve the pain that comes along with tense sore muscles.
Controls Anxiety
Anxiety is usually a product of stress. Because meditation reduces stress, it also reduces anxiety. If you have severe anxiety that affects your daily life, you still need to be under the care of a physician. Meditation, however, can help reduce the symptoms.
Promotes a Sense of Well Being
Practicing meditation can boost your self-esteem and give you a more positive outlook on life.
Meditation has proven to relieve symptoms of depression. Studies showed that people who received meditation therapy had reduced symptoms of depression compared to those who did not meditate.
Fewer Negative Thoughts
Another benefit of meditation is that it mitigates negative thoughts. One study on mindfulness found that participants who meditated had fewer negative thoughts when viewing negative images than those who did not practice meditation.
Helps You Concentrate Longer
Among the many benefits of meditation is that it helps you focus longer. Because meditation requires focused attention, it helps train your brain to stay on a task longer.
Research shows that people who meditated regularly could focus on visual tasks longer than people who did not meditate.
Another perk researchers noticed was that meditation also helped with mind-wander, poor attention, and even worrying.
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Helps Improve Sleep
About 1 in 10 people struggle with insomnia. One of the most common causes of insomnia is racing or runaway thoughts. Meditation teaches you how to redirect your thoughts which may help you fall asleep.
Studies indicate that mindfulness-based meditation programs can help individuals stay asleep longer and get better sleep.
Since meditation helps you relax and reach a more peaceful state, it is an excellent addition to your bedtime routine.
Changes Your Brain
Looking for a way to keep your brain young while you get older? Try meditation.
A study conducted by UCLA and Australian National University looked at meditation as a way to keep brain mass which usually starts to deteriorate as people age. What they found was fascinating!
The study looked at long-term meditators vs. those who did not meditate. The age range was between 24 and 77. The study took place over a long period. Researchers found that the individuals who had been practicing meditation for several years had less gray matter atrophy as they aged.
In addition to keeping the brain healthy, it changes the brain in other ways.
Better concentration
Reduction of negative thoughts
Fosters a more grateful attitude
Changes the brain's perception of thoughts and circumstances
Meditation is part of a lifestyle change and therefore takes practice. Research indicates that even meditating for 10 minutes a day can have positive outcomes.
Another interesting fact about meditation is that the effects of meditation last weeks beyond the initial meditation sessions.
If you are experiencing stress, a resort is a way to begin a meditation practice. At Rest & Restore, we have several daily meditation sessions. We can help you reduce stress and start incorporating meditation into your morning, afternoon, or evening routine.
Our resorts are located in a natural setting of the Yarra Valley and can help you feel more relaxed and at peace.
Take time out for yourself and experience how meditation can make you feel rested and renewed. Book a call today for more information.
Referenced Studies
Depression: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4383597/
Negative Thoughts: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4178287/
Focus: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6088366/ & https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23643368/
The Brain: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01551/full