Psychological stress is ever-present and long-lasting in the current society. The medical risks are on the rise due to the persistence and the duration and frequency of inflammation.
Cellular inflammation and DNA damage are increasing due to constant stress. And these effects can lead to major health repercussions such as accelerated aging, increased cancer risk, and psychiatric disorders like anxiety and despair. Chronic stress harms one’s quality of life and well-being.
Tai Chi, mindfulness, yoga, meditation have a relaxing effect on people who practice them. Besides relaxing the body and mind, studies show that this discipline has far more significant benefits to our bodies.
According to research, these activities can reverse stress and anxiety effects in our bodies. The activities leave a “molecular signature” in our body cells and rewrite the DNA process to promote health. Most chronic inflammation is suppressed by meditation.
This article reviews a few ways meditation can act as a potent antioxidant.
Meditation Lengthens Attention Span
Weight lifting for attention span is similar to meditation that focuses on your attention span. Meditation helps in aiding the development of strength and endurance.
Moreover, studies show that individuals who listen to meditation audio have better accuracy and attention when performing a task, unlike people in a control group.
Besides, a similar study indicated that individuals who meditate regularly have a longer attention span and perform better on the visual tests, unlike people who don’t meditate.
Also, studies show that meditation can alter the brain processes that contribute to poor focus, mind-wandering, and worrying.
Additionally, it doesn’t matter the length of your meditation. You can meditate for a few minutes daily and still benefit from meditating. You can’t imagine the effect 10 to 15 minutes of this exercise can have on your memory and attention after 8 weeks.
Meditation Improves Memory Loss in Old Age
Improving your attention and clarity of thought helps to keep your mind young. You can use the combination of mantra or chant with repetitive gestures to improve your concentration span using Kirtan and Kriya meditation.
Besides, research shows that this discipline improves neuropsychological tests in adults with age-related memory decline. Moreover, initial studies suggest that various meditation approaches helped enhance older volunteers’ memory, attention, and mental speed.
Dementia patients stand a greater chance to benefit from mediation as it helps to improve their memory besides combating typical age-related memory decline. Moreover, caregivers to dementia parents can manage stress and cope better by using meditation.
Meditation Helps in Reducing Stress
One of the common reasons most people meditate is to relieve stress. It is famous for its ability to reduce stress levels in people.
Cortisol stress hormone will usually elevate in response to physical and mental stress. This hormone triggers the production of inflammatory hormones known as cytokines resulting in most of the adverse effects of stress levels.
Blood pressure, induced melancholy and anxiety, sleep disturbances, foggy thinking, and exhaustion are some of the side effects of stress.
Mindfulness meditation is a type that helps to reduce inflammation response produced by stress during 8-week research.
Moreover, it’s quite evident that meditating helps to improve symptoms of stress-related diseases such as post-traumatic stress disorder, irritable bowel, and fibromyalgia.
Meditation as a Potent Antioxidant Helps to Fight Addictions
If you are struggling with addiction, meditation is an ideal antioxidant that can help you break dependencies by boosting your self-control and awareness.
Research has proven that this exercise helps individuals to learn to manage their emotions and impulses, refocus their attention, and gain better knowledge of the roots of their problems.
There was a significant improvement in 60 patients suffering from stress and psychological distress, alcohol cravings, and use after three months of transcendental meditation.
In addition, if you’re battling with food cravings, you need to try meditating to eliminate the cravings.
After 14 trials, analysis of mindfulness meditation helped participants minimize emotional and binge eating.
Helps to Decrease Blood Pressure
Meditation is beneficial as it helps improve physical health by lowering heart strain. Studies show that high blood pressure makes it difficult for the heart to pump blood leading to poor heart function.
The narrowing of arteries or atherosclerosis can lead to stroke or heart attack if the blood pressure condition is not addressed.
After conclusive research on more than 900 individuals, blood pressure could be lowered by meditating — older people and individuals who had high blood pressure highly benefited after the meditation practice.
Moreover, these results were not tied to one type of meditation but several styles of the whole process.
Stressful situations are the greatest contributors to blood pressure. Consistent meditating lowers blood pressure by relaxing nerve impulses that control blood vessel tightness, heart function, and the defense response.
Promotes Emotional Health
If you are struggling with emotional health or have a negative attitude towards life, you can practice a few meditations that are helpful.
For instance, a study conducted on more than 3500 adults proved that mindfulness meditation could help reduce symptoms of depression.
Also, a review of 18 research found that patients who were meditating and received this kind of therapy compared to those in control group therapy experienced reduced depression symptoms.
In addition, this discipline had fewer negative thoughts in response to watching unpleasant images, unlike those in a control group.
Moreover, stress contributes to releasing inflammatory chemicals that can negatively impact your mood, leading to stress. Several studies show that meditating plays a crucial role in improving depression by reducing the levels of the inflammatory substance.
Reduce Chronic Pain in Cancer Patients
Most cancer patients experience frustrating chronic pain. Cancer or cancer-related diseases could be the primary cause of chronic pain. 95% of Lung cancer patients experience some degree of pain regardless of the pain triggers.
Most cancer patients believe that the pain and discomfort are immensely reduced by meditating, hence lowering the amount of pain medication required.
Conclusion
Meditation is a potent antioxidant beneficial to everyone struggling with mental, chronic, and emotional wellbeing. Besides, it doesn’t require any memberships or equipment, and you can practice from anywhere.
Moreover, these classes and support groups are easily accessible. Each practice has its strengths and advantages, and you should not limit yourself to a single one.
Ensure you take advantage of the minimal time you have during the day to improve your quality of life through meditation.
[…] reducing stress is a challenge for practically everyone. Mindfulness meditation, which increases self-awareness and a focus on the present, is one method that can help control […]