3 of the Greatest Impacts of Meditation on Your Daily Lifestyle
Apr 20, 2017 08:43
Meditation might remind you of monks sitting on the floor for hours without opening their eyes. It might look boring and vague to you: a practice that doesn’t have many benefits. But nothing could be further from the truth.
Meditation is actually really simple, and your quality of life can be vastly improved with just two minutes of meditation a day. Starting with just that tiny habit is the first step to consistently achieving it. If you’re still sceptical, here are 3 ways mediation can impact your daily lifestyle in a positive way.
The great thing about meditation is that these benefits don’t end when your meditation session ends. If you practice meditation on a regular basis, you will be able to take this feeling of calmness throughout your entire day and even improve other medical conditions.
"You wonder if the mental skills, the calmness, the peace that they express, if those things are a result of their very intensive training or if they were just very special people to begin with," says Katherine MacLean, who worked on a study about the relation of meditation and attention spans as a graduate student at the University of California.
The study showed that the participants who meditated had a better attention span than those who didn’t, and would continue to see the benefits of the practice if they kept meditating on a regular basis.
If you’re new to the practice and you have trouble keeping your focus, you might want to consider trying out guided meditation, such as Multimeditation. This will help you get started with meditation and let you experience the full benefits of the practice.
In a study published in 2012, 200 African-Americans (who have higher risk of heart disease than white people) were asked to either take a health education class promoting a better diet or to take a class on transcendental meditation. The participants who took the meditation class had a 48% reduction in their overall risk of stroke, heart attacks and death.
These changes were associated with lower blood pressure and other psychological stress factors. The meditating group had an average drop of 4.9 mm Hg in systolic blood pressure compared to the control group. They also reported less stress and less anger. “It’s like discovering a whole new class of medications,” said Robert Schneider, lead author of the study, on of the power of meditation in improving the health of the participants.
Of course, the best test is trying out meditation for yourself. Find a few minutes every day to sit quiet and allow your stress to subside by focusing on your breath for that short moment of your day. Starting regular meditation practice will help you in many areas of your life, but the only way to find out is to try it.
Meditation is actually really simple, and your quality of life can be vastly improved with just two minutes of meditation a day. Starting with just that tiny habit is the first step to consistently achieving it. If you’re still sceptical, here are 3 ways mediation can impact your daily lifestyle in a positive way.
Meditation reduces stress and anxiety
If you’re often stressed out, meditation is definitely worth trying out. Meditation can give you a sense of calmness and balance, it can help improve your emotional well-being and overall health.The great thing about meditation is that these benefits don’t end when your meditation session ends. If you practice meditation on a regular basis, you will be able to take this feeling of calmness throughout your entire day and even improve other medical conditions.
Better focus
Meditation is a practice where we focus on our attention and are aware of when it drifts away. This can help you improve your attention span in your everyday life, making it easier for you to start and finish tasks."You wonder if the mental skills, the calmness, the peace that they express, if those things are a result of their very intensive training or if they were just very special people to begin with," says Katherine MacLean, who worked on a study about the relation of meditation and attention spans as a graduate student at the University of California.
The study showed that the participants who meditated had a better attention span than those who didn’t, and would continue to see the benefits of the practice if they kept meditating on a regular basis.
If you’re new to the practice and you have trouble keeping your focus, you might want to consider trying out guided meditation, such as Multimeditation. This will help you get started with meditation and let you experience the full benefits of the practice.
Reduces risk of heart disease
We really aren’t as healthy as we think we are. Did you know that more people die of heart disease than any other illness in the world? The good news is that meditation can reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke by as much as 48%.In a study published in 2012, 200 African-Americans (who have higher risk of heart disease than white people) were asked to either take a health education class promoting a better diet or to take a class on transcendental meditation. The participants who took the meditation class had a 48% reduction in their overall risk of stroke, heart attacks and death.
These changes were associated with lower blood pressure and other psychological stress factors. The meditating group had an average drop of 4.9 mm Hg in systolic blood pressure compared to the control group. They also reported less stress and less anger. “It’s like discovering a whole new class of medications,” said Robert Schneider, lead author of the study, on of the power of meditation in improving the health of the participants.
Of course, the best test is trying out meditation for yourself. Find a few minutes every day to sit quiet and allow your stress to subside by focusing on your breath for that short moment of your day. Starting regular meditation practice will help you in many areas of your life, but the only way to find out is to try it.
