7 Benefits of Meditation, According to the Smartest People
There is so much out there about the benefits of meditation. The internet allows us to share a lot of information. This can be a problem because the internet allows ANYONE to share a lot of information.
When it comes to finding the truth, it pays to ask, “says who?”
We already know the arguable benefits of meditation, mindfulness and most anything else from the East. Everyone is familiar with the image of the old, zen master. At the same time, many people see that image as folklore and not as an invitation to participate. I don’t want those people to miss out on all that can be gained by meditating. So, I am putting these benefits in terms of science - the real science we use to care for ourselves and our families.
There’s more. Since I don’t want to leave room for cynicism, I’m going another level deeper. I am narrowing our funnel even more to allow only the purest nuggets to pass along to you.
Like any other field, the world of science and medicine has it’s stars, it’s quacks and everyone in between those two extremes. Since not all scientists are created equal, I am citing information from some of the most trusted names in the intellectual world:
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH)
All four of these sources have provided easily-googled content about the benefits of mediation. They list dozens of benefits throughout all of their work. To further strengthen this information, I am only featuring the mediation benefits cited by more than one of these reputable groups. This is overkill. We all know that we would take any medication prescribed by any of these sources, whether it be Harvard or the Mayo Clinic. It’s the overkill that makes this list definitive.
Here is the last list of meditation benefits you will ever need:
Stress Reduction: Harvard, Mayo Clinic, NIH, Columbia University
Stress kills. We all know this. Just google “stress health” for more proof. According to Harvard University, chronic stress can be linked to “headaches, anxiety, depression, heart disease, and even premature death.” Modern medicine tells us that managing your stress is a big part of managing your health.
Meditation can help. Harvard says that “One of the easiest and most achievable stress-relieving techniques is meditation, a program in which you focus your attention inward to induce a state of deep relaxation.” They are not alone. Columbia University, NIH and the Mayo Clinic agree. My sources are unanimous. Meditation can help reduce stress. Can we call this a fact yet?
2) Pain Management: Harvard, Mayo Clinic, NIH
Three of my four sources (all but Columbia) have written about how meditation can help in managing pain. Harvard brags that the body scan mediation works to reduce pain “even if you don’t like doing it!”
This benefit should carry more weight because reducing pain is a powerful motivator. Pain hurts. If you experience chronic pain, mediation is worth a try.
3) Heart Disease: Harvard, Mayo Clinic
What does my mind have to do with my heart? According to Harvard and the Mayo Clinic, a lot. By reducing stress, mediation can help reduce the chance of heart disease. Meditation aids our health by accessing the sympathetic nervous system, the biology that controls our fight or flight response.
You’ve heard the lesson. The fight or flight response evolved to help us run from the Saber-toothed tiger, for a short period of time. When our stress levels causes us to live in that heightened state for hours every day, it can lead to illness.
Meditation slows down our stress responses by helping our bodies remember that we are not, in fact, running from danger. "People will start to feel some inner peace and inner poise, even in the midst of their busy lives," Harvard states.
4) Sleep Problems: Mayo Clinic, NIH, Columbia University
The content from Harvard University was the only one that did not talk about meditation’s effect on sleep. The other three sources listed improved sleep as a potential benefit of regular mediation.
Sleep is important. Columbia University tells us that sleep problems can effect the “hormones that control your appetite and regulate energy expenditure,” “your metabolism,” and “your ability to maintain your energy balance.” If your sleep is not great, maybe meditation can prove useful.
5) High Blood Pressure: Harvard, Mayo Clinic, NIH
Three of my sources have written about how meditation can lower blood pressure. “Meditation might also be useful if you have a medical condition, especially one that may be worsened by stress,” says the Mayo Clinic.
High blood pressure falls into that category. The Mayo Clinic says that “the body releases a surge of hormones when under stress. These hormones cause the heart to beat faster and the blood vessels to narrow. These actions increase blood pressure for a time.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, the less you stress, the less you release the hormones that make your heart beat faster and the less you cause your blood vessels to narrow. We already established that meditation can help reduce stress, making it potentially valuable to help treat conditions like high blood pressure. One plus one equals two.
6) Depression: Harvard, NIH, Columbia University
Every one but the Mayo Clinic has talked about how meditation can reduce the symptoms of depression. Harvard University writes about how “a regular practice can help your brain better manage stress and anxiety that can trigger depression.”
Columbia University did a study on meditation with a group of nursing students. Their finding showed that “simple main effects analyses showed a reduction in symptoms of depression, stress, and anxiety, as well as a significant increase in reported feelings of mindfulness in the experimental group. Findings of the study support the need to better recognize mental health challenges in nursing students and to consider the use of meditation practice in nursing programs to improve psychological outcomes.”
Maybe we should all consider the use of a meditation practice.
7) Anxiety: Harvard, NIH, Columbia University
In the meditation study of nursing students referenced above, Columbia University revealed that “the findings of this study demonstrate that mindfulness meditation can reduce stress and anxiety, while increasing mindfulness and self-compassion levels in nursing students.”
The seven benefits above should be enough to motivate anyone to try meditating.
If you’re looking for more, any search beyond this article will reveal many other benefits to regular mediation including:
Increased focus and learning concentration
Improved memory and attention span
A stronger immune system and greater physical/psychological resilience
Benefits for Substance Use Disorder
Benefits for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Benefits for Cancer Treatment
Benefits to Weight Control and Eating Behavior
Benefits for Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Whether you are influenced by Harvard University or Deepak Chopra, it is clear that there are many potential gains to a regular mediation practice.
Regardless of what the experts say, personal experience is the best judge of all. Maybe it’s time to give meditation a try. You can start at any time. You could have meditated in the time it took you to read this essay, but I’m glad you didn’t. You can always start tomorrow. Thank you for reading.
Burak Uzun is an award-winning writer and instructor. He has received thousands of hours of training and hands-on experience in guiding individuals with social and emotional challenges. He also co-wrote a feature film called Team Marco, which was featured in over fifty film festivals around the globe and was distributed by Samuel Goldwyn Films.
Please feel free to reach out to Burak here.
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