gibape.sosuanet.com |
It is official now:
Meditation can keep the brain young
Plenty of scientific studies have shown that physical exercise is a
powerful tool to slow down the effects of ageing. Among other benefits,
regular exercise helps us maintain our strength, endurance, and
flexibility as we age.
Now it turns out that there’s an easy way to slow down the ageing in
our brains! An exciting new study from Harvard University shows that a
simple practice, if done regularly, can prevent ageing in the brain.
The tool? Meditation. We’ve all heard that it produces feelings of
relaxation and peace, and is good for stress reduction. Now, for the
first time, scientists have actual proof that meditation can actually
reverse the ageing process in the brain. Using sophisticated medical
technology, Harvard researchers have shown that meditation produces
measurable changes in crucial parts of the brain that control emotion,
memory, and learning.
The study
In the 8-week study, Harvard researchers used magnetic resonance
imaging to compare the brains of two groups. One group practised
mindfulness meditation exercises for 27 minutes per day during the
8-week period, and the other group did not meditate during the study.
bulletproofmeditation.com |
Both groups also filled out questionnaires before and after the study
that measured participants’ levels of stress and anxiety. MRI scans of
participant’s brain were taken both before and after the study. At the
end of the study, the MRI images showed striking differences between the
two groups in crucial areas of the brain that control emotion and
thought.
The results
The researchers found that the hippocampus, which usually shrinks
with age, was thicker in the meditators after the 8 weeks, and unchanged
in the non-meditators. The hippocampus controls memory, learning,
self-awareness, and compassion; functions associated with mindfulness
meditation.
The amygdala, which controls emotions such as stress and anxiety,
showed a decrease in density in the meditators. The researchers
associated this decrease with the reduction reported by the meditators,
but not by the other group.
Benefits of meditation in daily life
So, how would these brain changes brought about by meditation
translate into real life?
The meditators reported feeling less stress and anxiety than the
control group. Meditation causes you to slow down repeatedly and to
practise focusing on your breath (or a mantra or image, depending on
what kind of meditation you are doing).
Meditation for beginners
Here’s a very simple meditation you can do
anywhere, anytime – in your living room, your office, even
your car.
1. Take a comfortable position: you
can sit cross-legged on a cushion, or upright on a chair,
whichever is most comfortable. Your spine should be upright
but not stiff, shoulders relaxed. Keep your head up, as if
lifted by a invisible string. Place your hands firmly on
your thighs, palms down or upright, whichever feels more
comfortable.
2. Direct your gaze a few feet in
front of you. Hold a soft, steady gaze.
3. As you breathe in and out,
taking deep, natural breaths, keep your attention on your
breath.
When your mind wanders (and it will)
gently bring your attention back to your breath. In the
beginning your mind will be very busy and full of chatter;
don’t worry! Just let your thoughts rise and fall and keep
coming back to the breath.
4. Start with 10 minutes per day.
Gradually increase your time as you feel more comfortable
with the practice.
Again, if you want to go further, seek out
some of the resources mentioned in this article.
As you go along, know that not only are
you reducing your stress and anxiety, but you are keeping
your brain young and healthy, too!
- softpedia
|
This can build the habit of stopping before you react, instead of
just reacting without thinking. Say an angry coworker approaches you
with an angry comment, accusing you of making a mistake.
If you aren’t prepared, your instincts would probably be to go on the
defensive, and you might find yourself in an argument. If you stopped
and took a breath before you began your conversation, however, you could
approach the conversation in a way that would help your coworker to
relax and to release his or her anger.
If someone cuts you off on the highway, your habit of pausing to
breathe before reacting might stop you from reacting with a loud honk or
an angry gesture.
Feeling less angry and stressed can enhance your life and the lives
of those around you, as well. In addition, your brain will remain active
and retain the ability to learn and remember, functions that we tend to
lose as we age.
How to meditate
If you’ve never meditated, but would like to start, there are many
resources available. If you’re interested in meditating with a group,
just Google ‘meditation groups’ and see what you can find near you.
Many excellent books and tapes with meditation instructions and
guided meditations are available on Amazon.
|