Meditation
Meditation also helps us to re-learn the patterns and habits that drive our destructive or negative behaviors, and relate to stress in a healthier, less anxious way.
Meditation is truly a brain-changing experience, and this is now being proven in the field of neuroscience. Neuroplasticity describes how the brain can actually reshape itself, its chemical pathways and cells by adapting to our thought patterns, environments and experiences. Our own thoughts and perceptions about our lives help shape our physical brain structures. So basically, the more we train for “positive thinking” and handling stress skillfully using guided meditation, the more likely we are to think positive things in the future and see the world in a more optimistic way.
Some of the benefits of meditation that have now been proven in clinical studies and trials include:
- lowering risks for obesity and overeating
- reducing pain
- helping you fall asleep and improving sleep quality
- reducing headaches
- helping people recover from chronic illnesses, like cancer and heart disease
- treating mental disorders, like bipolar disorder/manic depression, eating disorders and more
- lowering inflammation and building a stronger immune system
- improving decision-making and communicating
- boosting productivity at work
- increasing positive feelings, including happiness, connection to others, equanimity, calm, peace and compassion
- fighting depression and anxiety
- lowering cortisol levels
- helping treat learning disabilities like ADHD
- improving memory, focus and mental performance