Does Meditation Affect the Brain in Tangible Ways?

I practice meditation on a daily basis! Why you might ask? Because meditation affects the brain in many ways that most people don’t even understand.

Meditation is one of my daily rituals and it has been ever since the year 2008.

People often ask me; Zane – why do you practice meditation?

My short and simple answer has always been: I do because meditation makes me feel GREAT!

And while this answer might satisfy, for the most part, I do get it though as to why most people follow up with the question but Zane HOW?

How Does Meditation Make You Feel Great?

The long answer is meditating affects your brain chemistry.

And when your brain chemistry is changed, you get to experience the life-changing effect of meditation.

And don’t you worry, I’ll share with you not one but 5 ways that will answer the most asked question:

“Does practicing meditation affect the human brain in tangible ways?”

The quick answer is a HUGE YES!

But I want to take the time to share with you how practicing mindfulness and meditation on a regular basis have powerful and holistic health benefits that can’t be ignored anymore.

Scientific research is confirming that practicing mindfulness and meditation is effective and today you’ll learn how!

How Does Meditation Affect the Brain in Tangible Ways?

Here are 6 ways that I witnessed first hand and even better they are backed by science.

1. Increasing Focus and Clarity

Most people think that to meditate you must be able to control your thoughts.

That’s far away from the truth. Meditation is simply learning to remain present in the NOW while letting the thoughts flow through your mind.

By remaining present through mindfulness you improve your overall ability to remain focused despite distractions.

A study published in 2018, suggests that a brief Mindfulness Meditation practice can improve attention and focus in none-meditator. Read the full study here.

2. Managing Stress Like a Ninja

Everyone deals with stress and in our ever-busy, and so demanding world, learning how to manage stress is a skill you must learn.

Mindfulness meditation affects the brain because being mindful helps ease the stress presented at the moment of impact. Let me explain:

When something happens, the brain gets triggered releasing cortisol and other stress-related chemicals.

That in turn, causes the brain to go into fight or flight mode.

Research suggests that practicing mindfulness aid in reducing the impact of stress after a stressful experience.

A recent study suggests that mindfulness-based meditation affects the stress-related emotion centers in the brain and how they are activated.

So in layman terms, the stress centers in the brain get less triggered if and when provoked. How awesome is that?

3. Handling Anxiety and Depression With Grace

In an article published in 2015, on Psychology Today named Mindfulness Versus Antidepressants: Which Works Best? it’s been documented that mindfulness-based therapies truly aid those who are prone to anxiety and depression.

Furthermore, the depression relapse rate decreased by 12% in those who practiced mindfulness vs those who relied on medication only. If you want to get in-depth into the science behind this, please visit this article.

4. Relieving Pain and Reducing Triggers

11% of the population in the US alone deal with chronic pain and that doesn’t count slight or mild forms of pain.

A recent study confirms that Mindfulness Meditation affects the brain by reducing pain, it bypasses opioid receptors!

This is a game-changer in my opinion. Managing pain via medication is NOT the only viable way available. Do your research, my friends, and find what works for you best.

5. Saying Goodbye to Colds and Flu

I can vouch for this one myself as I haven’t had the Flu since 2003.

And besides the occasional cold that I had only once or twice in the past 10 years, my overall vitality has been AMAZING!

I attributed my overall health and wellness to my meditation practice, but it felt really awesome to have that hunch confirmed by science.

According to research results from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, training in mindfulness meditation or exercise may protect against the common cold and influenza.

So right around the cold and flu season, I invite you to meditate a little bit more 🙂

6. Sleeping Like a Baby

Insomnia was the reason I turned into meditation in the first place, if you want to learn more about my journey with meditation, please watch this video here.

Meditation has helped me to start sleeping like a baby! And when it was confirmed in 2015 by a randomized clinical study that Mindfulness Meditation improves sleep quality in adults with sleep disturbances, I became even more of an advocate for meditation.

So long story short, meditation does affect the brain in tangible ways!

In today’s article, I shared with you 6 tangible ways that are backed by science to help you in understanding how mindfulness and meditation affect your brain.

I highly invite you to give it a try and test it for yourself!

Till we speak again, may the rest of your life, be the BEST of your life!

Xoxo,
Zane

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Boring Disclaimer:

This article should NOT be interpreted as a prescription for treatment. And while mindfulness is increasingly being considered as a viable complement to conventional health care, please consult with your healthcare provider before attempting any alternative modalities.