Benefits of meditation

From the beginning of the Millennium, meditation received a lot of attention, including from skeptics and science. The scientific benefits of meditation are now beginning to be understood and shared. The East and West are coming together, and I'm so glad to share my knowledge and understanding with the world! My practice and teaching of meditation helped me understand myself, change and grow and continue to evolve along the way. The enlightenment journey is never complete, thirst for growth, for development of body and mind for betterment of ourselves and others is a life long process, most likely continued over many lifetimes. In order for us to clearly evaluate the benefits of meditation I did some research and I gathered a list of them below. I will share eight to ten benefits each week.

• Brain benefits
• Cognitive benefits
• Emotional benefits
• Mental health benefits
• Physical benefits

Brain Benefits

1. Increase amount of gray matter

   Gray matter is the darker tissue in the brain that consists of nerve cells. A positive correlation between the amount of gray matter and intelligence had been proven by science.

2. Increase in brain waves

   A study done by the University of Wisconsin proved that Buddhist monks showed an increase in beta waves and in the intensity of gamma waves.

3. Changes in precuneus

   The precuneus is the part of the brain that is mainly associated with the function of the brain that manages mental images concerning the self and memory. A study found that meditation changed the structure of the precuneus.

4. Increase in thickness of the corpus callosum

   The role of the corpus callosum is to connect the two hemispheres of the brain. Scientists believe that the function of this part of the brain is around sensory, motor and cognitive performances between both regions. A study found that meditation increased the thickness of the corpus callosum. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.03.016

5. Changes in the amygdala

   The amygdala is an almond-shaped cluster of neurons that is responsible for regulating emotions, survival instincts, and memory. Researchers in mindfulness stress reduction protocol showed that participants had structural changes to their amygdala after practicing mindfulness for eight weeks.

6. EEG activity slows

   EEG activity is the electrical and brain wave activity in the brain. Research around different meditation states and EEG, ERP, and neuroimaging studies found that meditation slowed down EEG activity in the brain. Dr. Joe Dispenza has great amount of information on the subject. Check him out on Youtube https://youtu.be/1ro4y_e0tCI

7. Neuroplasticity

   Neuroplasticity or neural plasticity is the brain's ability to continuously change in response to new information, behaviors, and stimulation. It's the general idea that even as you get older, it's still possible for your brain to change and adopt new ideas. A study found that meditation influences the brain's neuroplasticity and can help with creating and/or strengthening new dendrites-axon connections. check this out: https://youtu.be/DeVGLQw_Zdk

8. Slows down aging and brain atrophy

   Research around gray matter in the brain and meditation found that regular meditation had the potential to slow down aging in the brain and gray matter atrophy from aging. Of the scientific benefits of meditation, changes in gray matter seem to be reported as the most common.

9. Increases hormones that protect telomeres

   Telomeres are the ends of a chromosome, which are designed to protect genetic data. As people age, these telomeres get shorter, and this has been shown to cause aging and increase people's risk of death and cancer. Research around meditation and aging showed that meditation could increase the release of hormones that protect telomeres and, in turn, slow down aging processes.

Next week we will cover the Cognitive Benefits.