Why You Should Meditate

“Meditation nourishes the mind in the same way that food nourishes the body.” - Headspace

Introduction:

I fully believe that every person on the planet would have a better life if they meditate. Here are the reasons why:

Here are 6 reasons why you should start meditating today! 🧘‍♀️

1. It's Proven to Reduce Stress

Meditation has been proven time and again to reduce stress. Meditation has lasting results, according to a study by Hartford University, meditation provides longer lasting stress relief than a vacation. By 10 months post vacation, the stress level returns to the pre-vacation state, but for people who meditate, reduced stress levels continue. One study showed that meditating for 10 days lead participants to report 14% less stress than before meditating. We all know that stress can harm you and lead to serious health issues, this alone is enough reason to meditate regularly.

2. Your Brain Will Work Better

Multiple studies show that regular meditation results in positive physical changes in the brain. Studies using neuroimaging have proven that meditation changes the neuropathways in the brain. These pathways can be responsible for higher concentration levels, a more positive outlook, improved memory and even increased response time. Research comparing the brains of Buddhist Monks to those on non-meditators found that regular meditation over a long period of time leads to increased folds in the cerebral cortex. This is the area of the brain responsible for memory, thinking, and reasoning. That's the outer wrinkly part of the brain, and more wrinkles means more surface area. This is the one body part where we all want more wrinkles!

3. You Will Have a Better Work Experience

There are multiple studies showing how meditation improves your work. Studies like those by Frontiers Media and the Emory-Tibit Partnership show that when employees meditate, burnout, sick days, and work injuries are reduced. Production, better relationships among co-workers and job satisfaction improve. Meditation helps you to have better emotional regulation and manage stress better - these things can improve areas of your life that you never expected. Take that Stacy in Accounting 😉

4. You Will Be Healthier

Meditation does not just work in the mind, it also helps improve your physical health. Meditation has been shown to lower blood pressure and heart rate. It also reduces inflammation in the body and improves your immune system. The results: your risk for heart attack and stroke goes down; you can fight off illness better; your joints feel better; and your overall health improves. Most of this can be traced back to the fact that you are have less stress, or you manage that stress better.

Want proof? Studies show that regular meditation is linked to lower blood cortisol levels. These levels rise when stress is present. When you experience heavy stress over a long period of time, this rise in cortisol level leads to inflammation.

Chronic inflammation is associated with fatigue, frequent infections, muscle and joint pain, and brain fog. It's also associated with anxiety and depression. One key to preventing all of this is preventing elevated cortisol, and meditation has been shown do be instrumental with this.

5. Gain Mental Discipline

If you want to improve, achieve something, overcome a challenge, break a habit or do something hard - mental discipline will help you get there faster. Mindfulness meditation has been shown to improve mental discipline. It has been used clinically to treat addiction and support weight loss.

Mindfulness meditation helps you understand your thoughts: what they mean, if they are valid, and if they are useful. Once you understand how your mind thinks, you learn to identify triggers that lead to unwanted behavior.

This can apply to smoking, binge eating, abusing alcohol, gambling and many other things.

On the positive side, it can also be used to gain things you want that require discipline, like saving money, working out, putting time and energy into something to better your life, or anything where you need "drive" to succeed.

6. You Will Sleep Better

You know that voice in your head that starts running as soon as you hit the pillow? Meditation helps you quiet your mind so you can fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. This happens because meditation helps you calm that racing mind. It trains you to recognize when intrusive thoughts happen and you learn how to dismiss them so they don't interfere with sleep as well as other aspects of your life.

Meditation isn't about forcing your mind to be empty of thoughts. Instead, you learn to notice unwanted thoughts and release them rather than allowing them to lure you down the rabbit hole. This is the first thing I teach in my meditation classes.

In addition to relaxing your mind, you also learn to fully relax your body, which also helps you fall asleep. Quality sleep is important to your overall wellness, so if insomnia is an issue, it's another reason to try meditation.

Try This Simple Meditation Now

Simply read these instructions, then you are ready to try a simple meditation on your own.

1. Find a quiet place where you can sit or lay in a comfortable position. Don't worry about being in the perfect crossed-leg pose unless you want to.

2. Close your eyes and take 3 deep breaths. Inhale slowly to the count of 4, then exhale slower to the count of 6.

3. Focus your attention on your nose. Pay attention to the way the air feels as it enters and exits your nostrils. Is it cool or warm? Dry or moist? Do smell anything?

4. If you notice thoughts coming into your mind, acknowledge it, then allow it to drift away without following.

5. Allow your body to relax a bit more with each exhale.

6. Continue this for as long as you like.

Let us know it went for you!