Are you familiar with mindfulness meditation?
No ? So let me introduce you to this incredible practice.
Mindfulness meditation is simply being fully aware of the present moment, its sensations, thoughts and emotions without being judgmental.
It has been used for millennia for its health benefits, including disease, pain management, sleep and emotional control.
Here are 17 health benefits of meditation that everyone should know about. Watch:
Recent research published in the journal Health Psychology have shown that meditation not only makes you feel less stressed, but is also directly linked to lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
Meditation helps us see beyond appearances to better analyze ourselves objectively. A study published in the journal Psychological Science shows that mindfulness meditation helps to overcome our so frequent "blind spots". Indeed, these blind spots tend to amplify or diminish our own flaws from what they really are.
Research from the University of California, Santa Barbara showed that students who practiced meditation performed better on exams and saw improved memory efficiency.
"Our research suggests that the practice of mindfulness meditation is an effective technique for improving the cognitive functions of the brain, which opens up broad avenues for research," explain the study leaders.
A 2011 study published in the Annals of Rheumatic Disease shows that, even if learning to meditate does not help reduce the pain of people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, it does help them reduce their stress and fatigue.
The University of Oregon has shown that the practice of mindfulness meditation can lead to changes in the brain that could protect it from mental illness.
The practice of meditation is associated with increased connection signals in the brain. This is called axon density.
Similarly, protective tissue (myelin) increases around axons in the cingulate region of the forebrain.
Have you ever wondered why mindfulness meditation helps you feel more poised and zen?
This is because it helps the brain to better control pain and better process emotions, especially through the control of the alpha rhythms of the cortex.
Indeed, these rhythms play an important role in directing our attention, according to a study in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.
Mindfulness meditation improves our attentive listening to music. It helps us fully enjoy the auditory experience according to a study published in the journal Psychology of Music .
You don't have to be meditating to still feel its benefits on the brain.
This is the conclusion of a study published in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. It shows that the amygdala, the region of the brain that reacts to emotional stimuli, is modified by meditation. This effect persists even when the person is not actively meditating. Incredible, right?
Doctors, your attention please! Mindfulness meditation can help you take better care of your patients.
Research from the University of Rochester Medical Center has shown that doctors who practice meditation are less judgmental, have better self-awareness, and listen better when interacting with their patients. .
Yes, meditation also benefits the people around us. Why ? Because it develops our sensitivity to the suffering of others, according to a study published in the journal Psychological Science.
According to research conducted by Harvard University, meditation also leads to a more virtuous and positive behavior.
Loneliness in seniors can be dangerous in the sense that it can increase the risk of developing certain diseases.
But research conducted by the University of California, Los Angeles, has shown that meditation helps reduce this feeling of loneliness in older people. It also strengthens their health by reducing the risk of inflammation.
Not only will your health benefit from the benefits of practicing meditation, but so will your wallet.
Indeed, research published in the American Journal of Health Promotion showed that practicing meditation is associated with lower medical costs, compared to the medical costs of people who do not practice meditation.
In addition to giving you the keys to a healthy lifestyle, the practice of mindfulness meditation reduces the unpleasant effects of the common cold.
In fact, according to research from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine, people who practice meditation miss fewer days of work due to respiratory tract infections. They are also sick for less time and the symptoms are less severe.
Almost one in five women will experience a depressive episode during pregnancy. But women who are at risk for depression can reap the benefits of mindfulness meditation.
"The research on the impact of meditation and yoga is very encouraging," Dr. Muzik, assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Michigan, said in a statement.
"This study forms the basis for new research on how meditation and yoga can lead to feelings of confidence and positivity during pregnancy."
Teaching teens about meditation in school curricula could help them be less stressed. They would suffer less from anxiety and depression, according to a study by the University of Leuven.
Are you trying to lose a few pounds? Meditation just might be your best friend. In any case, this is revealed by a survey of psychologists conducted by the American Psychological Association.
We saved the best for last. A study from the University of Utah has shown that practicing meditation can not only help you have better control of your emotions and moods, but it can also help you sleep better.
"People who regularly practice meditation describe better control of their emotions and behaviors throughout the day, including at bedtime, because they have lower emotional activity. As a result, they have a better quality sleep and are less stressed," said study leader Holly Rau.
Are you convinced of the benefits of mindfulness meditation? Great!
So, I offer you this easy video exercise that you can do anywhere, even on public transport. Watch:
