An old lady that once told me that meditation and yoga were from Satan and that if you “open” your mind up, you’re allowing Satan to take charge. She called it all “hogwash,” and insisted I just needed Jesus. I kinda felt like what she was saying was hogwash, but I respectfully listened to my elder, smiled and nodded, and moved on with my life.
The truth is there are some really major benefits to meditation. And science agrees.
Before I get to the scientific evidence that meditation can improve your life significantly, let’s just address the fact that, for the most part, it’s FREE. Have a mobile phone? Have internet of ANY kind in your house? Have internet at your place of work? There are also libraries and coffee shops often at your disposal for wifi connections. You can meditate almost anywhere at almost any time by using your phone, laptop, desktop computer, or even a radio. There are apps for your phone and computer, YouTube, and plenty of other websites offer it. No excuses.
Also, more and more people are looking to alternative health practices, products, and practitioners to improve their lives.
Why? Well, everyone has their own reasons I suppose. But mostly it’s because they’re tired of feeling crappy. And whether their traditional forms of medicine are helping or not, there are side effects to all of them that make them feel terrible in ways they maybe weren’t before. Also, most people can agree, natural remedies, when available and helpful (not harmful) are just better for us.
With all that in mind, let’s get to the science behind it all.
ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND INSOMNIA
Anxiety and depression is a big deal. Lots of people are crippled by it on a day to day basis. Did you know that according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 40 million American adults suffer from an anxiety disorder? That’s about 18% of the population of the U.S. And it’s not all in their heads.
I struggle with anxiety. I’ve tried lots of different medications. Hated most of them. And still struggled with it. So if you struggle with it, you are most certainly not alone and you are definitely not the only one looking to alternative health practices to help alleviate your symptoms. Actually, congratulations! If you’re reading this, you’re taking an active, healthy step in overcoming your anxiety and/or depression!
According to PubMed (a highly regarded medical database of the National Institute for Health), regular practice of meditation over a period of 8 weeks or more will improve your anxiety and depression. Score one for alternative (or complementary) health! In case you aren’t aware, complementary health is a term used to describe alternative therapies that are used in conjunction with traditional ones.
So give meditation a chance to work if you try it at all. Don’t give up on it after a couple of times!
Also, I am in no way saying you should stop whatever your traditional doctor has prescribed for you and replace it with meditation. I’m simply telling you meditation is an excellent addition to help alleviate symptoms, and it’s FREE. If you love it and it works, then maybe you can talk with your doctor about your medication management.
There are many different types of meditation that are good for anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Here are a few popular ones:
- Body scan or progressive relaxation: This type of meditation is a practice in mindfully releasing tension in various parts of the body. Normally starting at the head and moving to the toes.
- Metta Meditation: Metta Meditation is also known as loving-kindness meditation. The goal is to create an attitude of love and kindness towards everything, including stressors. It generally includes repeating affirmations.
- Mindfulness Meditation: This form of meditation assists practitioners in focusing heavily on the present and existing surroundings. Not past or future. It’s the most widely used form of meditation currently, primarily because it can be done almost anywhere at any time.
For beginners, a guided version of any of these three would be the most beneficial. But even regular, long-term practitioners often still use guidance in their meditation practices.
PAIN MANAGEMENT
Before you say anything, I completely understand some types of pain are not “cured” by meditation. There ARE other possible alternative therapies to assist with pain that are not traditional medicine or pharmaceutical related though, but that’s a different topic.
I’ll stay on track by saying the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) has conducted several studies that reveal that mindfulness meditation, mindfulness-based stress reduction training (MBSR), and Cognitive Behavioral Training (CBT) all help reduce pain, particularly back and neck pain, but also many other types of pain.
In some studies, “…scientists suggest that meditation activates certain areas of the brain in response to pain.” (NCCIH)
Most people who have chronic pain are willing to try almost anything. Trying something not harmful with zero side effects and free equals ZERO risk.
Yoga is also particularly great for pain management of some conditions such as fibromyalgia, migraines, arthritis, and low back pain. Ashtanga, Bikram, Kundalini, and hot yoga are all various types of yoga that assist with pain management. If you have questions or concerns about chronic pain, you should first speak with your physician.
Also, lots of people suffer with more than one problem. I’d go so far as to say most people do. Meditate on it. Boom. Killing two birds with one stone!
THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING
Very, cliche, I know. But emotional health DOES matter!
Since beginning meditation, I’m not only less stressed and less anxious, but I definitely have a more positive outlook on life.
Some other benefits I’ve noticed include:
- My nerves aren’t shot all the time.
- I’m more patient, kind, and compassionate towards others (especially my family who I adore but, good Lord, three teenage daughters…). I stress eat way less often, and, instead, choose meditation when I feel the need to eat. Nine times out of ten, I wind up not stress eating after I meditate.
- I save money. Stress eating for me means driving somewhere and spending money (think ice cream and Starbucks). So there’s that.
According to studies done by the National Institute for Health, various different forms of meditation have been proven to improve one’s emotional well-being and overall mental health. I encourage you to do some research on what types of meditation would be most helpful for you, but some suggestions are Kindness-Based Meditation and guided mindfulness meditation. Which leads me to my next point.
KINDNESS
Research published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology suggests that mindful meditation practices inspire people to be more empathetic and nicer to strangers.
I’m a sceptic. And have been a cynic most of my life. I’m the person that looks at all the negative reviews on Amazon products much longer than I focus on the good ones. But honestly, if you’re looking for the negative, you’ll find it. If you’re looking for the bad in your life or just waiting for something bad to happen, you are finding it. Negativity attracts negativity. You may not even want to be kind because you’re so cynical right now.
The news is mostly negative.
Facebook is a lot of negative.
Road rage.
Waiting-in-line rage. I read once you are a culmination of the 5 people you surround yourself with the most. And what comes out of all of that is your contribution to unkindly behavior, words, and attitudes.
You can escape this pattern. I know because I did. Meditation makes me a nicer person. It’s improved my relationship with my husband and kids. I have less (almost none, actually) road rage and waiting-in-line rage. And I encourage myself and others daily to focus on the positive parts of their day or life. And honestly, that is almost solely due to guided mindfulness meditation practices. I am more peaceful, calm, content. And those feelings and attitudes produce more compassion, kindness, and empathy. EVERYONE can use more of those things.
This one does take work and practice. It’s not an overnight sort of “fix.” But if you dare to “open” your mind to it, it’s really not hogwash. And it can apply to everyone, from all walks of life.
BLOOD PRESSURE — IT’S IMPORTANT!
This one is last primarily because addressing all of the above concerns is scientifically proven to help lower your blood pressure. But people completely underestimate the importance of having good blood pressure!
According to the NIH, hypertension affects nearly 1 billion people worldwide and results in 7.1 million deaths. The studies suggest that interventions such as meditation used either alone or with lifestyle changes has been shown to help decrease blood pressure.
As a former EMT, I treated MANY patients who had uncontrolled high blood pressure. Sometimes it was because they were noncompliant with their medications or they couldn’t afford them (or afford to be continuously followed by a physician). Sometimes it was simply because their blood pressure had gone undiagnosed and they had a massive stroke. Some lived. Some didn’t. And that’s the truth.
Meditation is not a “cure-all” for high blood pressure, so don’t do it in lieu of seeing your doctor. But it’s scientifically proven to help lower it. According to the NCCIH, “A literature review and scientific statement from the American Heart Association suggest that evidence supports the use of Transcendental Meditation (TM) to lower blood pressure.” The American Heart Association website also has many other helpful (and practical) tips about lowering your blood pressure, in case you’re in need of another free resource that gives free advice on how to get (or stay) healthy without breaking the bank.
Now you can go forth and meditate. Be Zen. Meditation doesn’t just benefit you. Everyone you interact with gets something out of you being a better version of you.
Love, light, and peace!
Support Our Campaign
We rely on the generosity of the public to fund our work and so far together we have achieved great things! Please do continue to support us so we can provide future generations in Ireland with the resources to recognise and talk about their emotions, and equip them to navigate the ever-changing world around them as they grow
