10 Benefits of Meditation

10 Benefits of meditation #1: Increased Confidence and Energy

Due to the calmness and decreased stress response, meditation generates a relaxed mind. This release of nervous uncertainty brings up confidence. This gets us out of our own way, creating more energy.

I feel more energized after a strong meditative experience personally. But it is more of a settled awake way. I don’t have the coffee type jag. Sometimes, however, after intense meditation, I can feel so much energy that it is difficult to relax.

Bonus benefit: Meditation overcomes Anxiety

Properly practiced, meditation has been shown to overcome anxiety. This can be done in many ways, so whatever a person’s disposition or challenges, they can meditate to conquer anxiety. Studies:

1. Title: “Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being: a systematic review and meta-analysis”
   • Authors: Goyal M, Singh S, Sibinga EM, et al.
   • Published in: JAMA Internal Medicine, 2014.
   • Link: JAMA – Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being
   This meta-analysis examines the effects of meditation programs on stress and well-being. While not solely focused on anxiety, it includes studies that investigate anxiety as part of psychological stress.
2. Title: “Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density”
   • Authors: Hölzel BK, Carmody J, Vangel M, et al.
   • Published in: Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, 2011.
   • Link: PubMed – Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density
   This study explores the structural changes in the brain associated with mindfulness meditation. It suggests that regular meditation may be associated with changes in brain structure related to self-awareness, which could impact anxiety.
3. Title: “The underlying anatomical correlates of long-term meditation: Larger hippocampal and frontal volumes of gray matter”
   • Authors: Luders E, Toga AW, Lepore N, et al.
   • Published in: NeuroImage, 2009.
   • Link: PubMed – The underlying anatomical correlates of long-term meditation
   This research investigates the structural brain changes associated with long-term meditation. The study found that individuals who engaged in meditation had larger volumes of gray matter in brain regions associated with emotional regulation, including the hippocampus.
4. Title: “The effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on sleep disturbance: a systematic review”
   • Authors: Rusch HL, Rosario M, Levison LM, et al.
   • Published in: Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing, 2015.
   • Link: PubMed – The effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on sleep disturbance
   While primarily focused on sleep disturbance, this systematic review touches on anxiety, as sleep and anxiety are often interconnected. The paper discusses the potential positive effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on various mental health outcomes.

Peak Performance from Meditation: Benefit #2

Markov Sarekla, MD, a neurologist at Washington University, used MRI technology to show the brain – when we’re not doing anything active – is in fact doing something very powerful. They call it the default mode, but it’s a highly active background mode that works below the conscious mind. This mode of mind shuts down when the mind is engaged in a directly concentrated task.

This is the mind that can be engaged in meditation. It also brings about spontaneous insights and creative breakthroughs.

To access peak performance, stopping the incessant flow thoughts is necessary. Resting in the basic state of mind is a trigger. Meditation is obviously ideal for that.

Benefit of meditation #3-4: Greater Compassion and sense of humor

Another huge benefit is greater compassion. Meditating lessens the focus on self. This in turns opens up focus on others. Their pains and joys are much clearer. You can see in their face how they may be hurting. Or happy. Through meditation, you can share in their happiness and maybe alleviate their pain. This leads to a wonderful benefit: joy.

Meditation Benefit #5-6: Greater focus and mental clarity

Meditation is defined as focus on an object, so greater focus is automatic. Focusing better IS meditation, so when we meditate, we’re developing our capacity to focus even better. This can continue, with proper practice, in an indefinite virtuous cycle. Focus can become total. This is called samadhi.

This also creates tremendous mental clarity. Why? Fuzziness and confusion in the mind arise from excess thoughts. The mind becomes split into different strains. This generates a mental fog or a cloud that makes it hard to see any one thing properly. By focusing on only a single thing and training the mind to do so, clarity emerges as a natural offshoot.

Meditation Benefit #7: Joy

Most of the suffering in life comes from focusing too much on ourselves, especially our suffering. When we don’t do that, when we focus on others, that suffering becomes smaller in our mind, simply because we’re not obsessing on it. If we do this really well, we forget about our suffering altogether. It turns out that a lot of religions are correct: thinking of others leads to happiness.

Health Benefits of Meditation: #8

Engaging in regular meditation reduces stress levels, lowers blood pressure, and improves overall mental well-being. The practice fosters mindfulness, promoting a heightened awareness of the present moment and aiding in stress management by mitigating the detrimental effects of chronic stress on the body.

Moreover, meditation has shown positive impacts on mental health, with studies suggesting a reduction in symptoms of anxiety and depression. As individuals cultivate a regular meditation practice, they often experience enhanced emotional resilience, better concentration, and improved sleep patterns. The physiological benefits extend to the immune system, as meditation has been associated with strengthened immune responses. Collectively, the health benefits of meditation underscore its holistic impact, offering individuals a simple yet powerful tool to foster both mental and physical well-being.

The following meta-analysis, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), examines the impact of meditation programs on stress reduction and overall well-being, drawing on a wide range of studies. It provides a comprehensive overview of the scientific evidence supporting the positive effects of meditation on mental health, stress management, and general psychological well-being.

• Goyal, M., Singh, S., Sibinga, E. M., Gould, N. F., Rowland-Seymour, A., Sharma, R., … & Ranasinghe, P. D. (2014). Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Internal Medicine, 174(3), 357-368.

Engaging in regular meditation has been associated with enhanced divergent thinking, a key component of creativity that involves generating a multitude of ideas and solutions. Through practices that promote an open and non-judgmental awareness, meditation helps individuals break free from cognitive rigidity and tap into their innate creativity.

A study by Colzato, Ozturk, and Hommel (2012) investigated the relationship between meditation and creativity, finding that mindfulness meditation specifically facilitates the generation of original ideas and promotes cognitive flexibility. Incorporating meditation into one’s routine not only contributes to overall well-being but may also serve as a valuable tool for unlocking and nurturing creative potential.

Reference: Colzato, L. S., Ozturk, A., & Hommel, B. (2012). Meditate to create: the impact of focused-attention and open-monitoring training on convergent and divergent thinking. Frontiers in Psychology, 3, 116. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00116.

Meditation Benefit #10: Grounded in the Now

Remaining in the present moment, often cultivated through mindfulness practices like meditation, has been associated with a myriad of mental and physical health benefits. Mindfulness, defined as non-judgmental awareness of the present experience, has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety (Kabat-Zinn, 1990).

Regular mindfulness practice can enhance cognitive functioning, improve attention, and increase overall psychological well-being (Brown & Ryan, 2003; Jha, Krompinger, & Baime, 2007). Physiologically, staying present has been linked to reduced levels of the stress hormone cortisol (Creswell et al., 2007) and improvements in immune function (Davidson et al., 2003). Moreover, mindfulness practices have been integrated into therapeutic interventions for various conditions, showcasing their versatility in promoting mental health and resilience (Baer, 2003). Collectively, these findings underscore the profound and holistic benefits of cultivating an awareness of the present moment.

• Kabat-Zinn, J. (1990). Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness. Delta.
• Brown, K. W., & Ryan, R. M. (2003). The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(4), 822–848.
• Jha, A. P., Krompinger, J., & Baime, M. J. (2007). Mindfulness training modifies subsystems of attention. Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience, 7(2), 109–119

Bonus Meditation Benefit: Ending the Stress Response

Amygdala hijack occurs when the mind is stressed or anxious for no reason. The response can become overwhelming, disrupting the person from any rational thought or control. It is a fear cascade, in essence.

Another team tested highly experienced meditators against non-meditators in MRI machines is, again, and subjected them to physical pain afterward. The non-meditators continue to experience high levels of amygdala activity. The amygdala is responsible for fear and stress. The experienced meditators, however, were able to quickly shut this response down and no longer be subject to it. They simply stopped the stress response.