My wakeup call came a few years ago. This happened after I achieved both my business and personal goals but felt a sense of dissatisfaction despite being successful. I realized that I had no peace of mind. Since I was usually busy thinking about a lot of things, I didn’t realize that I was missing a sense of inner peace. So, I started searching for alternative ways of thinking and living. Meditation is simple but it serves many purposes. I started to control my anxiety and also reduce my stress.
According to research, meditation also improves symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, post-traumatic stress disorder, and fibromyalgia. You must know these 5 amazing health benefits of meditation:
1. Improves self-awareness and mindfulness
Meditation helps you develop a greater perception of yourself and how you relate to those around you. It will help boost your happiness levels by following your goals with your actions.
2. Reduces memory loss
Developments in attention and accuracy of thinking may improve and help to keep your mind youthful. Meditation can at least partly enhance memory in patients with dementia. It can also help manage stress and enhance coping for the caregivers of people with dementia.
3. Helps get rid of addictions and improves attention span
Meditation, even for a very short period, may help you. The following shows how meditation can improve your lifestyle:
- Based on a study, even four days of practicing meditation may be enough to enhance one’s attention span.
- The mental development you can achieve through meditation may help you break dependencies by improving your self-control and awareness that triggers various addictive habits.
- Meditation may help you to redirect your attention, improve your willpower, manage your emotions and thoughts.
- It can also help you develop your understanding of the motives behind any addictive habits, like having several cups of tea/coffee.
4. Improves sleep pattern
Practicing meditation may help in improving your sleep pattern in the following ways.
- Meditation may help you control or redirect the racing thoughts that frequently lead to insomnia.
- It can help relax your body, reduce tension, and set you in a peaceful state of mind in which you’re likely to fall asleep.
A study shows that people who meditate frequently tend to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer, compared to those who don’t. Practicing meditation increases your melatonin and leads you to a comfortable sleep.
5. Lowers blood pressure and reduces pain
Meditation enhances physical health by decreasing strain on the heart. During meditation, your blood pressure decreases because it involves progressive muscle relaxation. If you are experiencing chronic pain that hinders you from sleeping soundly at night, meditation, especially mindful meditation routines, can help.
Conclusion
Good health comes from an aggregate of a healthy diet, exercise, and stress control. You can meditate anywhere, outdoors or indoors, without special equipment or memberships. However, if you are interested in guided meditation, you can download certain mobile applications such as Headspace or Calm.
Keep in mind that before you start with a new fitness method, you should check with a medical expert. Remember to follow good sleep hygiene in addition to your meditation practice.
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