On the benefits of meditation.
Meditation is not the most glamorous of activities as it mainly involves sitting with yourself in quiet. Most people I know are quite busy, so it can get challenging to allocate time to simply "be" and not do all of the things that life demands.
Science has dedicated time to study the benefits of meditation. My hope is that as I share some key findings you will find it worthwhile to bring meditation into you daily self care practice.
Let's first define meditation. One of my teachers, Ashley Turner, offered the definition of, "Mediation is the practice of sustained, voluntary attention." It's a practice that trains the mind to be stable in a sustainable way. That could include focusing on your breath, a phrase or mantra, or listening to particular guided practices. There are so many different ways to meditate, so the key is finding what works for you. I will offer more on this in the future. For now, I want to focus on the WHY behind a meditation practice.
Here are some of the few main takeaways science has proven as a result of a consistent daily meditation practice:
Gyrification: allows the brain to process information faster.
Brain function: increases whole brain function by synchronizing the right + left hemispheres of the brain.
Focus: improves focus by causing an increase in cortical thickness (responsible for attention).
Mood: dopamine + serotonin levels increase which is associated with positivity + happiness.
Stress reduction: decreases stress + anxiety by down regulating cortisol and adrenaline.
There is so much value to this simple, yet powerful practice. I have felt some of these benefits first hand. The other great part is ... there are no negative side effects to a meditation practice. So why not give it a try?
Some meditation tips, along with types of mediation coming your way in future blog posts. In the meantime, I would love to hear what you uncover if meditation is something you are willing to integrate into your life. Please keep me posted with your journey.
In love, light + with gratitude,
Nicole