No one out there wants to stay miserable. Every human walking this earth wants to feel satisfied and happy in life. From a crying baby to an insecure young adult to a responsible grown-up, everyone is in search of something that comforts them. Are you one of those people who are also currently seeking something to bring some much-needed peace?
If you nodded your head yes, then you should know that you will find real happiness once you successfully find clarity in your thoughts. Other factors could bring a smile to your face but, you cannot feel pure joy until you are at peace with your mind, body, and soul. This is achievable once you learn the art of meditation.
Meditation is a way to establish a safe and secure connection with your internal and external life. It brings your body to life by tapping into all the subconscious and conscious layers of your mind. Of the many benefits that meditation provides, here are some that you can reap if you give it a chance.
Decreases cortisol levels
Meditation is primarily practiced to help you feel at ease. Thus, mindfulness meditation has an impact on the specific hormone in your body that produces stress, thus impacting your cortisol levels. Once you get into the habit of regularly meditating, you will notice a decrease in your level of cortisol and, thereby, a fall in anxiety, depression, and stress.
Better responses to stress
It is a given that once your mind starts to relax, your body steadily follows. Meditation is responsible for bringing about calmness to both the body and the mind. It allows your nervous system and adrenaline to take a much-needed break and rejuvenate.
Helps ease anxiety
Health coaches believe that meditation is a simple and portable treatment for anxiety. In their opinion, closing your eyes for a few minutes and doing breathing exercises can go a long way. Mindfulness meditation can help you switch off the mechanisms in your mind, which are the source of your anxiety.
Reduces symptoms of depression
If you did not already know then, depression is a mental illness that is often triggered due to extreme levels of anxiety and stress. According to research, meditation can help alleviate the symptoms of depression, as it can influence some key areas of your mind. These areas include the fear center and the part of your brain that controls your reaction to events and surroundings, which are directly connected to the mental health disorder.
Moreover, people who practice meditation regularly have also proved to have an increased level of gray matter. This is part of the hippocampus of the brain, which is in charge of your memory.
Boosts your mood
In light of the fact that meditation helps deal with anxiety, stress, as well as various difficult situations, it can be concluded that it can help a person feel better. Thus, practicing mindfulness meditation will ensure that you can face difficult situations in life without them having a significant impact on your mood.
Aids in retraining the brain
Science has revealed that the more you use your brain, the more it will develop. Thus, when you practice meditation, you are employing your prefrontal cortex or the me-center of your brain.
You engage in mindfulness to help regulate the center of your brain, which causes fear, namely the amygdala. Hence, if you ever face a difficult situation, you will have trained your mind to employ the facilities of the prefrontal cortex. Your mind will then be directed towards thinking clearly and calmly, without letting impulsive thoughts rise to the surface.
Strengthens the heart
Meditation can also provide various benefits to your heart by bringing about a reduction in the risk of you contracting cardiovascular disease. It is a given fact that practicing mindfulness helps you maintain and balance blood pressure, which leads to the effectiveness of the heart muscles and cardiovascular mortality.
Boosts serotonin levels
If you studied biology in school, then you know that your body has a natural stabilizer for your mood produced in your very own nerve cells, which is known as serotonin. Meditation has been linked to a direct increase in serotonin levels, thus acting as a natural treatment for depression.
Helps break poor habits
Do you shop or smoke too much for your own good? Well, meditation can help you break these habits too. Practicing mindfulness helps you walk away from any ill habits you may have formed, whether consciously or unconsciously. Hence, having clarity helps you become more aware of each passing moment and your actions in that moment.
Strengthens your relationships
The main hallmarks of a lasting bond are empathy, respect, and good communication. Mindful meditation helps you become aware of yourself and, thus, polish these qualities. Once you start cultivating a stronger connection with your mind and body, you will find your relationships becoming more fulfilling and much easier.
Enhances concentration
There are a thousand thoughts you have during the day, and with that many things racing through your mind, you may face difficulty focusing on the task at hand. This is where meditation comes into the center of your mind, clears it, and helps you concentrate on whatever it is that you are currently working on.
Boosts inner strength
You may have been stuck in a situation that you could not wait to escape or heal from. This could be something as small as being in a boring meeting to something as traumatic as losing someone. You can make it out of whatever it is that you are currently facing by practicing meditation. It helps you build endurance and inner strength, thereby allowing you to calmly undergo all kinds of difficulties.
Simply put, meditation aids in the development of the ability to live in the moment, no matter what is going on in the present. It helps you deal with hurdles in your way without letting them impact your entire life and the way you function. Furthermore, it is a booster for your mental and physical health as well.
