Meditation Benefits, How Does It Help Us?
Mindfulness Meditation has many benefits for our physical, mental health and general well-being. It began as a Buddhist tradition and has evolved into a growing practice all over the world, with meditation techniques that focus the attention on breathing, bodily sensations or another object of concentration. The primary focus is on the present mental and physical state as it changes moment by moment. Mindfulness meditation is now recognized by the medical and psychological scientific communities as a form of enhancing the health of the psyche and cognitive functions and bringing numerous mental and physical benefits for people of all ages.
How Does Meditation Benefits Us?
Mindfulness involves six neuropsychological processes that lead to a person’s meditative state of self-awareness:
- Intention & Motivation to be mindful
- Accepting to let go of the thoughts that pop into the mind when meditating
- Emotion awareness and openness to accept any emotions that arise
- Extinction of old neuropathways and Creation & Reconsolidation of new ones
- Pro-Social Behaviour including an increased sense of empathy for others
- Attention Regulation including enhanced concentration
What Are The Mental Benefits Of Meditation
We all have the ability to be present, yet we usually go through our days in automatic pilot, not really bringing all our attention to we what we are doing. Instead, we may think about what we have to do next, how our last interaction was with a friend or stranger or we may worry or daydream.
When we set up the intention to be mindful, we can develop and cultivate the qualities of being present with whatever we are doing: thinking about it, feeling the sensations associated with that particular task, our body posture and any sensations of pain, comfort or discomfort we may have. For example, if we are writing on the computer we may focus on the sound of the keys as we press them, the movement of our fingers as we type, the sensation of the keyboard below our palms and in our fingertips and the appearance of the letters and words as we type. We may also notice the sensation of our body sitting in a chair, with our feet touching the floor and our back resting on the back of the chair.
This attention to the present moment has proven to benefit us in various ways. Whenever one brings awareness to what they are directly experiencing through their emotions, physical sensations and thoughts, they are being mindful and present. They step out of the automatic pilot and they stop multitasking. This brings a sense of focus to the brain and inner peace to the person as a whole. When we train our brain to be mindful, we are remodelling the physical structure of their brain, the hardware of our brain which results in a more efficient and able to control itself mind. Mindfulness increases brain gyrification (brain folds), allowing the brain to process information more efficiently. This helps to fight mental illnesses such as Anxiety disorders, and Depression. It also improves academic performance, increases concentration, memory and helps to regulate emotions. New benefits are still continuously being discovered as more research is conducted on mindfulness meditation. Read about mindfulness brain workout
Physical Benefits Of Meditation
Alongside reducing stress and boosting relaxation, research suggests mindfulness influences the whole wellbeing of the person who practices it. The practice of mindfulness meditation can lower blood pressure and stress-induced inflammation, which contributes to many physical ailments. Practicing mindfulness meditation can reduce the risk of Heart Disease and Rheumatoid Arthritis, as well as slowing HIV progression and diminishing cold & flu effects. It helps with Irritable Bowel Syndrome, weight loss, fights chronic pain, and improves sleep.
How to Practice Mindfulness
- Set aside time for yourself
- Observe the present moment as it is
- Allow your judgments to pass by
- Return to observing the present moment as it is
- Accept whatever arises without trying to change anything and return the attention to your breath
Meditation Recordings
If you want to listen to some meditation recordings, ask us for the link and password to our amazing list of meditations recordings. You can reach us at the following email assistant@cbtpsychology.com for the login information. These guided meditations will allow you to start training your brain and getting the benefits described here by practicing just 10 minutes a day! If you want to experience the benefits of practicing mindfulness meditation don’t delay your decision, start today and set up a time of the day to bring this new habit into your life.
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Written By: Dr. Silvina Galperin Ph.D., C. Psych.
