Meditation will Shrink your brain?!

Approximate Read Time: 2 minutes

I know that a lot of people are meditation skeptics. In today’s fast-paced society most people “don’t have time” to sit still and relax.

People often consider meditation a waste of time or think of it as too airy-fairy/ voodoo-y for our western world (if you will). The truth is, the practice of mediation has actually received a lot of scientific research and demonstrated a number of physical and emotional benefits. Although there is still research to be done, scientists have discovered some pretty cool facts about how beneficial practicing meditation can be. Research has demonstrated a variety of self-reported benefits including stress reduction, improved mood, and increased productivity. With reduction of stress comes reduction in blood pressure and a reduced risk for diseases of the heart. One study done at Harvard even showed significant structural changes in the brain following meditation everyday for 8 weeks. In addition to the self-reported decreases in stress the article found significant structural changes. Including:

• Increased gray matter density in the Hippocampus. The hippocampus is a part of the brain associated with sense of self, memory, and empathy.

• Smaller amygdala. Amygdala are almond shape nervous tissues in the brain that are responsible for perceiving emotions (things like fear, anger, and sadness). Bigger amygdala are associated with aggressive behaviour and higher levels of anxiety. So meditation will just shrink this one part of your brain ;) 

Other research suggests that meditation is an effective tool to train your brain to become stronger and to react better to stressful situations. This leads to more determination in pursuit of goals, and is very useful to increase dedication to training or fitness programs.

The Take-away: Research demonstrates that meditation can actually change the structure of your brain to be more resilient. It also helps to reduce stress and all of the physical consequences associated with stress.

Not sure how to meditate? Neither was I! So I decided to commit to a 7-day meditation trial! Click here to learn more!

References:

McGreevey, Sue. Eight Weeks to a Better Brain. Havard Gazette. Jan 21, 2011. http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2011/01/eight-weeks-to-a-better-brain/