Did you know that today (May 21st) is World Meditation Day? That’s right – it’s so important that it gets its own day for global recognition! You have most likely heard people talking about how great meditation is, and how you should incorporate it into your daily routine, but do you know why? In today’s blog post, we’re sharing the amazing benefits.
- It can help you sleep
Meditation can be particularly beneficial for those who suffer with insomnia as it has been proven to improve sleep. Mindfulness meditation involves focusing on breathing and thinking about only the present. It helps to you fully unwind, relax and get you in a better mindset for a goof night’s sleep.
- Improves physical health
Studies have shown that meditation boosts the immune system, helps to lower cholesterol, reduces blood pressure and can even protect against heart disease.
- Reduces stress
Stress causes increased levels of the stress hormone cortisol in our body, which in turn releases inflammatory chemicals called cytokines. These can disrupt your sleep, increase the risk of depression and anxiety, raise blood pressure and lead to fatigue and difficulty concentrating. Meditation has been shown to reduce the inflammation response that stress causes. Plus, it can also improve symptoms of stress such as IBS and PTSD.
- Reduces anxiety
Leading on from stress, meditation can reduce anxiety levels. It has been found to help reduce anxiety symptoms in those with generalised anxiety disorder, in addition to job related anxiety.
- Improves focus
Meditation can increase the strength and endurance of your attention span. It has been shown to reverse patterns in the brain that contribute to mind-wandering, worrying, and poor attention. One study (Basso et al, 2019) found that meditating for even 13 minutes a day can boost attention and memory after eight weeks!
- Can help with pain
Research suggests that daily meditation may be good for reducing pain, improving quality of life, and decreasing symptoms of depression in those with chronic pain.
- Improves Emotional Intelligence
Meditation can help us become more aware of our feelings and emotions, and how to better process them. It can change the way you think and helps you to understand your emotions without feeling the need to act on them.
- Lowers the risk of depression
Research suggests that meditation may be beneficial in treating the symptoms of depression and lowering the risk of it altogether. Plus, it helps to relieve stress and anxiety, which are huge triggers for depression.
If you’ve been meaning to give meditation a try, today is the day to get started! Let us know how you feel afterwards.