I'm a big meditation fan so I thought I'd share some of what I know with the community, I hope it's of value to some of you!
So I guess the first thing to discuss is, why meditate in the first place? We are so busy in Western culture and sitting doing nothing seems so counterintuitive to our way of doing things. If we're not busy busy busy we feel like we're wasting time, yet lots of us will then spend time watching TV or Youtube.
No criticism there, I do it myself but if you can take five or ten minutes out of your day to meditate you could be in for quite a few positive changes in your life. There are several health conditions that multiple studies suggest can be improved upon by regular meditation.
Stress is a huge problem in Western society. Money stress, workplace stress, relationship stress. Mindfulness meditation has been found to reduce stress hormones in the body. A study where participants took part in mindfulness meditation would found to be more effective than a traditional stress management course. And a benefit of meditation is that you don't need to pay anyone to do it. Tuition can be helpful, but you can also learn one of the myriad of meditation techniques online in less than five minutes, or follow a Youtube meditation.
(source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2017/01/24/mindfulness-meditation-lowers-stress-hormone-decreases-inflammation/ )
Numerous trials have all found positive effects of meditation on the above mental health issues. 47 Studies analysed in JAMA Internal Medicine found a "modest" benefit of mindfulness meditation on the body. The rate of 2.5 hours of meditation over the course of a week was found to be helpful in reducing anxiety and easing depression. Meditation can also be used to help ease the mental stress that comes with chronic health conditions or even fatal ones. Of course the aim here is not to cure but to help patients come to terms with their illness.
(source: http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2014/01/07/260470831/mindfulness-meditation-can-help-relieve-anxiety-and-depression)
Other health issues that meditation has been reported to help in some cases, include IBS, ulcerative colitis, addiction to smoking, symptoms of menopause, and ADHD. The results in these cases are less reliable than those described in more detail above, and a lot of evidence is anecdotal. Results on these health issues have been mixed so more research is needed. With this being said, meditation is completely free to learn and you don't need to buy anything to try it (although bolsters and the like can make it a little easier), so why not give it a try and see if it helps? It can't hurt!
So today we discussed the health issues that meditation may help improve upon, and this is just the tip of the iceberg. Next week, we will look at general benefits meditation can have to the mind and body, outside of specific health issues.
Have a great meditation Monday, guys!
