In the previous post, we discussed some of the benefits of meditation as justified by research. You didn’t think those were the only benefits of meditation, did you? There have also been studies that emphasize other benefits of meditation.
1. It results in more compassionate individuals.
The world could really use more compassionate and empathic people, and meditation is the unassuming solution to that problem. An experiment was conducted, where the participants were shown photos that were good, bad, or neutral. The participants who regularly meditate had a reduced emotive reaction to the images, and showed compassion for the disturbing images. This s because of the heightened responsiveness of the amygdale, which becomes responsive to emotional stimuli in situations that call for compassion and empathy.
2. It sharpens the memory.
This is precisely what a study in the Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging together with the Osher Research Center concluded after it found that people who do mindful meditation were able to increase their productivity and even filter out distractions. Those who meditate are able to remember details better.
3. It will lessen stress.
At a time when everyone stresses over anything, meditation is the hero of the day. A recent study conducted in 2012 divided human resource managers, with a third of them practicing mindful meditation regularly. The results are quite enlightening. Those who were in the said group experienced less stress than two other groups, those who did body relaxation training, and those with no training at all.
4. It will increase your gray matter.
Do you want to slow down your aging process? It may sound too good to be true, but meditation is yet again the answer. Research has shown that it can lead to increased amounts of gray matter in the frontal area and the hippocampus of the brain. More gray matter means the stimulation of more positive emotions and heightened focus in one’s day to day activities.
Getheadspace: A Meditation App
Now that you’re well acquainted with the benefits of meditation, there shouldn’t be any doubt in your mind about what it can do for you.
Let me introduce to you a great app that might help you: Getheadspace, which was created by a Buddhist monk himself, Andy Puddicombe. It was created to help busy people get at least 10 minutes of simple meditation. Turn on the app, and you’ll hear Andy’s calm voice soothe you and help you meditate. And it’s free, so what’s to lose?
