Why Meditate? Does It Really Have Benefits Beyond Relaxation?

Some of us have dabbled in meditation strategies or taken a yoga class or two.  Others have succeeded in making meditation integral to their daily lives.  The questions are these:  Why do it?  What benefits can we hope to achieve? Does it have to be yoga? (No, but  right now, a yoga class is taking place in the Crawford Barn, Edinboro, PA with some of our contributors participating.)  

Benefits, Brainwise  Whatever meditation you practice from yoga to mindfulness, to transcendental meditation, to prayer, doing so wakes those systems that seem to access empathy for others.  "Being still can make you more compassionate"(Prevention, July, 2014, 23).

Benefits, Heartwise  Transcendental meditation (2X a day) may lower your blood pressure-a key factor in heart health.  And those of us working out on stationary bikes with digital readouts can experiment with  effects of deep breathing on heart rate  Note your heart rate while pedaling; then concentrate on 4 or 5 deep belly breaths.  Does your heart rate slow a few points?  Mine does. So add cardiovascular benefits to the list.

Benefits, Skinwise  Because meditation appears to lower stress levels, skin disorders can be lessened.

Benefits, Bellywise  One of the culprits in adding belly fat (Gr-gr-gr!) is the hormone, cortisol.  We've all experienced stressors, and they kick up cortisol production. By lowering stress, meditation also lowers the levels of cortisol in our systems.

Benefits, Bonewise   Are you taking anti-inflammatory drugs for joint pain?  Two types of genes linked to inflammation are shown to be reduced by long-term meditation.

Benefits, Copingwise   Carnegie Mellon's Health and human Performance Laboratory recommends mindful meditation to help those of us who have had or are coping with cancer.  MM "can help cancer survivors and those going through treatment stave off symptoms of depression, loneliness, wipe out repetitive thoughts, and can even decrease the body's inflammatory response which is linked to serious illness and is helpful before, during, and after treatment as a coping mechanism"(Deardoff). (Access "Mediation: More than Just Relaxation," in Prevention.com/July/2014/You-Can-Thrive. The article appears in the Monthly Archives: July, 2014.)

So, in addition to all the energy we expend walking, pedaling, spinning, we might consider that meditation needs to be part of our everyday experience. At prevention.com/start-meditating, has "three easy meditations to try."

(Prevention, July, 2014, 23)