Blog 5 The Benefits of Meditation

Given all the buzz, it’s tempting to see meditation as trendy, but really it’s a thousand-year-old practice of calming the mind and halting day-to-day stressors. And doing so benefits every area of life, says Josh Korda, dharma teacher at Dharma Punx NYC.

See, when you meditate, you put your guard down, let energy in, and get yourself out of a stressful self-defense mode, says Sonia Choquette, a meditation teacher with more than 35 years of experience. “It’s pressing a pause button and giving yourself room to breathe,” she says. “And when you have room to breathe, you access your greater potential and your greater state of being.” It can also even out your mood and energy levels, says Gabrielle Bernstein, a certified meditation teacher and New York Times best-selling author. “We experience more even-keeled energy,” she says. “And that expands to how we show up in the world.”

With those kinds of benefits, why isn’t everyone (and their mother) meditating? Well, skeptics might be turned off by the negative—and false—stereotype that meditation is hippie-dippy and too good to be true. But there’s plenty of solid evidence to satisfy all the naysayers out there. And even better, science suggests you may experience the brain benefits related to the practice even when you’re not actively meditating . Plus, it may even help you save money on your healthcare .

Need more convincing? Here’s 19 awesome, science-backed benefits of meditation!  With more and more people touting its life-changing benefits (we’re looking at you, Anderson Cooper!), it’s safe to say that meditation has gone mainstream. But unlike questionable cleanses, this practice can do your body, mind, and entire existence a whole lot of good.

Given all the buzz, it’s tempting to see meditation as trendy, but really it’s a thousand-year-old practice of calming the mind and halting day-to-day stressors. And doing so benefits every area of life, says Josh Korda, dharma teacher at Dharma Punx NYC.

See, when you meditate, you put your guard down, let energy in, and get yourself out of a stressful self-defense mode, says Sonia Choquette, a meditation teacher with more than 35 years of experience. “It’s pressing a pause button and giving yourself room to breathe,” she says. “And when you have room to breathe, you access your greater potential and your greater state of being.” It can also even out your mood and energy levels, says Gabrielle Bernstein, a certified meditation teacher and New York Times best-selling author. “We experience more even-keeled energy,” she says. “And that expands to how we show up in the world.”

With those kinds of benefits, why isn’t everyone (and their mother) meditating? Well, skeptics might be turned off by the negative—and false—stereotype that meditation is hippie-dippy and too good to be true. But there’s plenty of solid evidence to satisfy all the naysayers out there. And even better, science suggests you may experience the brain benefits related to the practice even when you’re not actively meditating . Plus, it may even help you save money on your healthcare .

Need more convincing? Here’s 19 awesome, science-backed benefits of meditation!

1. Ditch depression.

Research suggests that 30 minutes of meditation improves depression symptoms (along with anxiety and pain) . In fact, the practice could possibly prevent depression and pain altogether—scientists discovered that people who meditate may have more control over how their brains process and pay attention to negative sensations (like pain) and negative thoughts (like depression triggers).

2. Stress less.

Nix those nail-biting moments already. When you meditate, you’re able to override a part of the brain responsible for the fear mechanism (which releases cortisol, the damaging stress hormone that’s responsible for a whole grab bag of health issues), says Korda. One study suggests that meditation can cut back on anxiety by almost 40 percent . And it doesn’t take a ton of time to reap these keep-calm-and-carry-on benefits. Just 25 minutes of meditation (done three times per week) may make tasks feel less stressful, according to recent research .

3. Relieve headaches.

Meditation may be an excellent line of defense against those horrible head-pounding episodes. Recent research finds that the practice leads to major relief of tension headaches (though it’s worth noting that the treatment program in this study involved both meditation and medication, like muscle relaxants) .

4. Be nicer.

Meditation may help you kill ‘em with kindness. In one study, the practice was linked with more empathy and laughter, being more social, and having a more team-oriented mentality (the meditation practitioners in the study used the word “we” more than “I”).

5. Boost memory.

If your desktop is wallpapered with sticky note reminders and you often find your mind jumping from thought to thought, you may want to turn to meditation. It’s been shown to not only improve memory but to help cut back on distracting thoughts .

6. Get more out of your workout.

Exercise, especially HIIT workouts in full-blown #beastmode, can do a number on your muscles and your central nervous system But meditation allows you to rest your body and mind very deeply, removing stress from your physiology and priming you for excellent sweat sessions, says Ben Turshen, a former lawyer who’s now a fitness professional and qualified independent teacher of Vedic Meditation in New York City. With meditation’s ability to reduce our stress levels, we’re able to perform our workouts that much better and enjoy them that much more, he says. And studies supportTurshen’s point. Plus, meditation might also help minimize sensitivity to pain (read on for deets on that!), meaning it might be just the boost you need to take on new fitness challenges.

7. Keep colds away.

No need to buy that jumbo 12-pack of tissue boxes. Research links meditation with having fewer respiratory illnesses, quicker recovery times, and needing fewer sick days from work .

8. Build better relationships.

Meditation will absolutely help you maintain healthy relationships, say Bernstein and Korda. Not only does it let you be more present in relationships, but it also helps you approach tricky situations with a calm mind and body. In fact, it may help you avoid big blowouts when dealing with a relationship issue (he/she said what?!). In one study, people who meditated and tried to problem-solve with their partner approached the issue with less hostility and a better mood .

9. Protect your heart.

Here’s a pretty great (and totally unexpected) way to boost your heart health—no burpees involved. Yep, we’re talking about meditation! In one study, patients with coronary heart disease who practiced meditation had a reduced risk of heart attack, stroke, and even death .