3 Benefits of Meditation According to Science
When we sit to meditate we feel the benefits. We feel calmer, more aware, and more content. We know this is and this is why we keep coming back for more. But what don't we know about the benefits of meditation?
How much deeper do the benefits go? Turns out that not only do they go deeper, they go much, much deeper.
While meditation and mindfulness practices have been around for thousands of years, science only just beginning to determine how effective it is.
3 Benefits of Meditation
Here are three of the benefits of meditation as backed by science.
Decreased Blood Pressure
Decreases blood pressure. High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is one of the most common health concerns in the United States. In fact, 46% of adults have hypertension, defined as blood pressure higher than 130/80 mmHg.
What's even more surprising is that only a quarter of them have their blood pressure under control!
Meditation has wonderful calming effects
Transcendental Meditation Study
In another systematic review and meta-analysis, researchers analyzed 12 studies and nearly 1,000 participants to find out if transcendental meditation (TM) had any effect on blood pressure.
They concluded that those who practice TM have a reduction of about 4 points in their systolic blood pressure and 2 points in their diastolic blood pressure.
The systolic effects were most significant for women, those who were older, and those with higher blood pressure. The diastolic effects were most significant for those with higher blood pressure.
Meditation Helps with Memory and Mood
2. Improves attention, memory, and mood. As I practiced meditation over the years I always had a hunch that my poor attention span was getting slightly better. It seemed like the volume on my "ants in my pants" and mind-wandering mentality was gradually turning down the more I practiced.
I couldn't prove it but I knew that my brain was reaping the rewards of my moments of zen.
In just the last few years, science has backed up this theory and then some.
Get Your Freebie Journal Now!
A study published in Behavioral Brain Science compared broke up inexperienced meditators into two groups: listen to a podcast for 13 minutes or meditate for that same time.
Each group performed this over a span of 8 weeks and the results are impressive. Compared to the control group (the podcast listeners), the meditators had "decreased negative mood state and enhanced attention, working memory, and recognition memory as well as decreased state anxiety scores."
On top of that, they reported that these meditators "reduced the behavioral anxiety response to an acute psychosocial stress." In other words, they were more resilient.
Getting Better Sleep with the Power of Meditation
3. Improves sleep. Sleep is arguably the most powerful dial we can turn to impact our health yet so many of us not only don't get enough but when we do finally fall asleep it's not the true, restorative deep sleep that allows our body to heal and wake up refreshed.
When we get enough quality sleep everything is better. When we don't, everything is worse.
The popular answers to these all-too-common sleep issues are more coffee, harmful medication, and questionable supplements.
Fortunately, there's an answer that doesn't have any side effects: meditation. Researchers performed a systematic review and meta-analysis that consisted of a whopping 18 trials and 1,654 participants.
The results were clear. They determined that mindfulness meditation "significantly improved sleep quality."
Turns out that closing your eyes for a calmer mind can allow your mind to calm down more when you close your eyes at night.
Meditation improves sleep
Meditation is by no means a panacea to all of life's woes but there are plenty of benefits that go well beyond just feeling better and I have a feeling that science has only skimmed the surface.
I hope these insights bring even more pleasure and motivation to continue your journey.
Namaste.
Brian Comly, M.S., OTR/L
Subscribe to Brian's newsletter at Mindbodydad for practical info on health, wellness, parenting and more.
Pin Images You Want to Save!
