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The Benefits of Meditation: How to Get Started
Meditation has been around for thousands of years, but today it’s more popular than ever. If you aren’t familiar with meditation, it involves sitting quietly and focusing on your breathing or a single word or mantra that helps you clear your mind of distractions.
You may have seen images of people sitting still like this under a tree, in a field, or even in their cubicles at work.
This may seem counterintuitive initially; after all, who wants to sit still when there are errands and emails to answer? But what if I told you that meditation could help reduce stress and anxiety while increasing attention span and self-awareness? That’s right; even 10 minutes spent meditating can have powerful effects on the brain—and not just any old brain, but yours! We will explore more about how meditation works below and some other benefits associated with practicing this ancient art form.
Reduces stress
- Meditation reduces stress and anxiety.
Stress is a significant cause of physical and mental health problems, including heart disease and depression. It causes your body to release the hormone cortisol, which can damage your immune system, among other things. Stress also increases the brain’s production of beta-amyloid proteins—the same type that builds up in the brains…
