Benefits of meditation!

If relaxation is not the goal of meditation, it is often one result of it. Back in the 1970s, Herbert Benson, MD, a researcher at Harvard University Medical School, coined the term the relaxation response after conducting research on people who practiced transcendental meditation. The relaxation response, in Benson’s words, is “an opposite, involuntary response that causes a reduction in the activity of the sympathetic nervous system.”

Since then, studies on the relaxation response have documented the following Short-term benefits to the nervous system:

1:-lower blood pressure

2:-improved blood circulation

3:-lower heart rate

4:-less perspiration

5:-slower respiratory rate

6:-less anxiety

7:-lower blood cortisol levels

8:-more feelings of well-being

9:-less stress

10:-deeper relaxation

Contemporary researchers are now exploring whether consistent meditation practice yields long-term benefits, and noting positive effects on brain and immune function among meditations. Yet it is worth repeating that the purpose of meditation is not to achieve benefits. To put it as an Eastern philosopher might say, the goal of meditation is no goal. It is simply to be present.

In Buddhist philosophy, the ultimate benefit of meditation is liberation of the mind from attachment to things it cannot control, such as external circumstances or strong internal emotions. The liberated, or “enlightened,” practitioner no longer needlessly follows desires or clings to experiences, but instead maintains a calmness of mind and sense of inner balance.

How Does Meditation Affect the Body?

Along with the wonderful spiritual and emotional benefits of learning meditation, there are a number of physical benefits you’ll enjoy as well. The most common are reduced stress and decreased muscle tension.

The Mayo Clinic reports there is research that suggests meditation may also have a positive impact on a wide range of health conditions, including allergies, anxiety disorders, asthma, binge eating, depression, fatigue, heart disease, high blood pressure, pain, sleep problems, substance abuse and even cancer. According to experts, meditation is best used as a supplemental treatment in combination with other medical interventions.

Stress reduction:-

According to Dr. Richard Keller, MD, chronic stress is a killer, causing high blood pressure and constriction of the blood cells, depression and sometimes harmful addictions. According to Dr. Randy Zusman, MD, calming the mind during meditation, focusing attention on breathing and relaxing in a quiet state all help to reduce feelings of stress. A study conducted by Zusman found that deep, controlled breathing also allows the body to produce increased levels of nitric oxide, a compound that helps open up constricted blood vessels and ultimately causes a reduction in blood pressure.

Improved heart health:-

A study published by the American Heart Association reported that participants who meditated throughout the study experienced a decrease in the thickness of their arterial walls, while those who did not meditate experienced no change to their arterial walls. The resulting decrease in arterial wall thickness translates into a lower risk of heart attack and stroke.

Decreased muscle tension:-

Drawing attention to different areas of the body by controlling breathing and calming the mind will help muscles relax. In fact, there’s a specific technique called Progressive Muscle Relaxation that can be used at the beginning of a meditation session to systematically tense and then relax muscles throughout your body.

Enhanced immunity:-

By meditating, promoting inner peace and relaxing, you clearly reduce stress. According to a 2003 study published in the Psychosomatic Medicine, meditation also has a demonstrably positive effect on the immune system and the brain.

Researchers are conducting new studies, and more benefits of meditation are being revealed every day. For example, according to a 2003 report in the New York Times, there are a number of small studies showing that cancer patients who meditated had significantly better emotional outlooks than a control group, and meditation also provides relief for patients who suffer with anxiety and chronic pain.