Meditation
How do you relax? According to research, it is more conducive to mental health if we are actively engaging the mind instead of seeking relaxation through mind numbing activities.
Meditation is a thought-free exercise wherein your interest is targeted on being conscious of the present, your breath and your thoughts to sell awareness, domesticate wellness and decrease pressure and anxiety.
Meditation and its Major benefits
1.Stress Reduction-
Mediation can improve your quality of life thanks to its many psychological and physical benefits. Mindfulness-based interventions, such as meditation, have been shown to improve mental health, specifically in the area of stress, according to a study in the Clinical Psychology Review. Chronic stress can cause sustained and elevated levels of cortisol, which can lead to other negative effects on your health, including cardiovascular and immune systems and gut health. Meditation, which focuses on calming the mind and regulating emotion, can help to reduce chronic stress in the body and lower the risk of its side effects.
2.Reduces Anxiety -
Mediation can help counter the effects of anxiety—often noted as overwhelming feelings of fear, worry and tension—by slowing down racing thoughts and regulating breathing, which calms the nervous system. People with anxiety who regularly practiced meditation over the course of three years saw positive, long-term impacts on their mental health, according to a study in General Hospital Psychiatry.
3.Depression control-
Meditation can also help reduce the symptoms of depression through mindfulness and emotional regulation. One study observing individuals on a three-month-long yoga and meditation retreat found that participants showed significant improvements in depression after the retreat, as well as enhanced stress resilience and wellbeing.
4.Lowers Blood Pressure-
Consistent meditation has been shown to reduce the body`s stress response, resulting in less inflammation and decreased risk of conditions such as chronic pain, fatigue and heart disease. While meditation is best known to help ease stress and anxiety, it can also improve your brain structure. When you practice meditation, your brain is able to produce more gray matter, researchers found in one study. The same study found that meditating for 30 minutes a day for eight weeks can increase how much gray matter your body produces.
5.Regulates Mood-
Elements of meditation, which generally include mindfulness and controlled breathing, can lead to less impulsive reactions. This means instead of reacting from a heightened emotional state such as anger or panic, people who practice regular meditation may gain the ability to more successfully regulate their mood.