The first time I tried meditation was when I was about 13 years old. I sat on the rough carpeted floor in my parents’ living room and followed the instructions of a voice that spoke softly to me from the stereo speakers.
My brain couldn’t shut off for a millisecond. Frustrated, I abandoned the attempt after a few minutes. It wasn’t until a trip to India that I was to encounter mediation again.
Nearly 30 years later, I am much better at sitting in silence. However, I am still not a master and far from a perfected practice, although I feel the beneficial effect of the mindfulness exercises.
An interesting article a few weeks ago made me sit down and meditate every evening. Because there is actually scientific evidence for the positive effects of meditation. It seems that by practicing mindfulness we are able to influence important areas in our body.
Using meditation to fight anxiety and depression
In the last two years, depressive disorders and anxiety have been on the rise worldwide. We have all been living in an uncertain world for many months. Terrifying news of viruses, health care system overloads, and Long Covid chase each other. People’s mental health is suffering.
Some scientists attribute it to the ongoing Corona pandemic, as well as related measures, that more people are facing dejection and panic.
“A good remedy for depressed mood and anxiety could be mindfulness exercises,” he said.
Psychologist and psychotherapist Ulrich Stangier conducted a therapy study among chronically depressed people between 2017 and 2019. The 48 subjects were allowed to self-assess their condition as part of the research on the one hand, however it was also independently assessed. Improvements in quality of life and in the severity of depression were noted both immediately after mediation and individual therapies, as well as 6 months after the conclusion of the study.
The Frankfurt study is not the only one to suggest that regular mindfulness exercises brighten mood. Meditation research has also been conducted in faraway Japan. Dr. Wataru Sato of Kyoto University found that people who repeatedly practice stillness are more optimistic. He was even able to prove this in the brain.
This is because it is basically the case that the precuneus region in the brain is larger in happier people. In people who meditate regularly, gray matter increases in the precuneus area, among other areas. This could be scientific confirmation that we can improve our emotional state and structure in the brain through meditation.
Another area in the head that can apparently be positively influenced by mindfulness exercises is the so-called amygdala. Among other things, our fears originate in the amygdala. Not that fears are something bad. They are there to ensure our survival. However, fear and worry can be extremely developed. Then those affected suffer unnecessarily.
“Those who go through panic attacks are restricted in their daily lives.”
The repeated deep contemplation may mean that the amygdala is not activated as quickly. In real danger, the small amygdala in the brain continues to start your reflexes. But in normal daily life, there may be less restriction from unnecessary anxiety.
If you meditate daily or several times a week, it also increases your ability to self-regulate. In anxiety situations, you can more easily keep a cool head. You are aware of the fear, for example when you have to give a lecture in front of a large audience. But you can deal with the emotion more confidently.
Forever young through meditation
If you are concerned with the positive effects of meditation, you can’t avoid some brain study. Especially the gray brain cells are to be mentioned in this context.
The so-called gray matter is jointly responsible for a high brain performance. It is located at the outer edge of our thinking organ and helps you with memory as well as with planning for the future. Some research suggests that a large proportion of gray matter may be crucial for higher intelligence. However, as we age, the gray matter in our heads steadily decreases.
A US study entitled “Forever Young(er): potential age-defying effects of long-term meditation on gray matter atrophy” investigated the connection between gray matter and meditation. In both people who regularly practiced deep contemplation and others, the gray matter in the head decreased with increasing age. Interestingly, however, the meditators lost fewer gray matter cells than their peers who did not perform mindfulness exercises.
Experts estimated that the brain age of 50-year-old study participants who meditated was 42.5 years. This provides a hint that meditation could slow the aging process in the mind.
“What’s exciting is that the positive effects of meditation affect a wide variety of areas of the brain.”
The white matter inside the thinking apparatus is also affected. Increases in these neurons can also be observed after regular mindfulness practice.
You don’t need years of practice to measure initial brain improvements. After just two months of regular meditation, the structures in the head change. If that’s not an incentive to treat yourself to a few minutes of downtime every day!
With Inner-Work to a strong immune system
Nowadays it is more important than ever that your immune system functions properly. In addition to a balanced diet, sufficient sleep and exercise in the fresh air, relaxation can also help.
Have you ever gotten sick after a stressful period at work or in your personal life? In fact, stress can weaken our immune system. This doesn’t apply if you simply have a lot to do on some days. It only gets difficult when our organism can no longer recover.
“Our system is wonderfully designed for short-term challenge, but it can break down from permanent overload.”
Surprisingly, there are findings that just 10 to 15 minutes of daily meditation, could give your immune system a real booster. The knowledgeresearcher Carolyn Y. Fang from Temple University in Philadelphia found that her study participants developed a stronger defense after regular mindfulness exercises.
Their killer cells were significantly more active. Fewer signs of inflammation were also detected in the blood. In addition, Ms. Fang found the so-called C-reactive protein in her subjects. This substance boosts the body’s defense reactions.
If you want to better arm yourself against diseases, you should start meditating regularly. Try to do your mindfulness exercises every day for the first three weeks. It is best to write a reminder in your photo calendar. New behaviors usually become second nature after 21 days. Then you may not need the reminder.
Side effects of mediation
From what you’ve read so far, mediation certainly sounds like a miracle cure. I agree with you there. Except there are also voices speaking out against mindfulness exercises. They want to be heard as well.
In 2017, researchers at Brown University and the University of California explored whether mediation can have side effects.
Just when you start meditating, all kinds of memories and thoughts come to mind. For some people, negative experiences rise up from the subconscious that they had repressed. This can lead to anxiety.
Perhaps you associate the thought of mediation with an image of Indian gurus who live in lonely caves or temples. They withdraw completely from the world and devote their lives to spiritual things. Some scientists actually see a withdrawal from fellow human beings and daily life as critical in mediation.
“Those who devote themselves too much to spirituality can lose touch with everyday life.”
In some cases, study participants also lacked motivation to engage in work or other areas of life. The following other possible side effects were summarized in the 2017 research:
- Sleep disturbances, fatigue
- Headache, dizziness
- General feeling of weakness
- Pain, pressure
- Gastrointestinal problems
The researchers themselves say they have found no clear evidence that meditation has a negative effect. There is just some evidence that mindfulness exercises may not be the Holy Grail.
Healthy meditation means staying in balance
Probably the same wisdom applies to meditation as to anything else. The dose makes the poison. If you completely withdraw from the outside world for months at a time, you’re pretty much bound to have problems at work, with family, and with friends.
But there’s nothing wrong with a daily mindfulness practice of 10 to 30 minutes. Pay attention to your body and mind. How do you feel after meditation? The vast majority of people feel relaxed and calm afterwards. Your entire system can shut down, creating an excellent counterbalance to stressful everyday life. If you always build in periods of rest, you strengthen your immune system, your brain and also your hormone balance.
But what about the possible
hen side effects? You might actually be confronted with traumatic memories at some point. Is that really so bad? It may be that these thoughts come up during meditation because they want to be seen and processed.
Repression is not a permanent solution. Realize that you are in a safe environment now and nothing can happen to you. Then look. What are your memories trying to tell you? When fears come up, focus again on your breath. Suck the air calmly and deeply into your lungs and let it escape slowly. You can calm yourself with your breath.
“If you can’t process your experiences on your own, get professional support.”
The positive effects of mediation usually far outweigh the negative ones. Therefore, incorporate the exercises directly into your daily life. It has helped me that I do not set a time limit for myself. The only important thing is that I meditate every day – even if it’s only for 20 seconds. Most of the time I sit for much longer. After a few weeks, I now don’t like to imagine going to bed without my practice.
Want to increase your visibility?
Are you in the startup phase as a blogger, author, coach or trainer? Then now you have the chance to publish your content on hafawo! If you are interested, please just drop us a line under “Contact” and we will get back to you with the details. Thank you very much!
NewsletterFrom now on you
can receive the most popular and latest articles monthly by simply subscribing to our newsletter.
…
Continue reading: https://www.hafawo.at/gesundheit-und-fitness/fitter-gluecklicher-und-mutiger-durch-meditation/