The Benefits of Long-Term Meditation.

Scientific research shows that long-term meditation can improve many negative aspects of life, from mental health to physical wellness.

Meditation is a mental and physical exercise that's given value to people's lives for thousands of years. In modern life, social, financial, and internal pressures take a toll on our minds and bodies, but meditation is a release valve that has proven therapeutic benefits for these types of ailments. In many cases, the benefits of meditation have strong scientific proof. Some other studies show strong correlations between long-term meditation and positive outcomes.

What Is Meditation?

Meditation has many different forms and techniques. Traditionally, it involves focusing the mind and body through repeated exercises that can take some time to master. The practice is designed to enhance clarity by removing daily troubles from the front of consciousness. In some cultures, meditation is tied closely with religious worship, while in other societies it can be a mostly secular practice. Either way, modern scientific experiments, and studies have shown that meditation can have significant benefits to the well-being of people who make it part of their regular lives.

Types of Meditation

There are many different meditation techniques that can be effective for long-term health. If one technique doesn't work for you, we encourage you to try another until you find a method that you can stick with in the long term. Here are a few of the most popular types of meditation:

• Guided: You focus your mind on peaceful scenes using as many senses as possible.

• Mantra: By repeating a tranquil word, you can rid your mind of distractions.

• Mindfulness: This type of meditation emphasizes greater focus on the present moment, such as your breathing and immediate surroundings.

• Transcendental: A traditional Chinese technique that combines breathing exercises with relaxed movement.

Meditation Reduces Stress and Anxiety

Reducing stress and anxiety is one of the most attractive benefits of meditation in modern society. That's because the daily grind can take serious tolls on health and mental well-being. While this benefit may have been unsupported in the past, scientific studies have shown that meditating regularly can have moderately improved impacts on anxiety. This comes from a meta-study that included 47 trials with 3,515 participants. In another study, meditation, or mindfulness training, proved to have a buffer effect on neurogenic inflammation caused by psychological stress.

Meditation Controls Pain

The study that showed meditation reduced anxiety also showed that the practice had moderate effects on pain. While the research indicates that mindfulness does not have an impact on the underlying causes of chronic or acute pain, it does influence the mind's ability to cope with pain. Routine meditation may be able to make your chronic conditions much more tolerable.

Meditation Enhances Cognition

Meditation is a popular activity in many memory care communities because the practice is believed to slow the rate of cognitive decline for some seniors with Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia. One study shows that there are long-lasting changes in hippocampal functional topology related to mindfulness meditation. This suggests that the memory processes in the brain may be improved by meditation. Other research shows a correlation between meditating and improved attention spans, which can make lives easier for seniors with memory loss.

Meditation Can Decrease Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is a major cause of heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases. One study showed that transcendental meditation had a measurable impact on lowering systolic blood pressure in the short term, especially among elderly and female participants. Older adults may want to consider starting a meditation routine if they've been diagnosed with elevated or high blood pressure.

Meditation Reduces Depression and Improves Emotional Health

Several physicians that studied the effect of meditation on depression found that there were some beneficial impacts during the sub and subacute phases of treatment. While the studies showed some strong correlations, the scientists involved are seeking broader, controlled research into the subject. Other studies show that meditation may reduce levels of inflammatory cytokines, which many scientists believe help contribute to depression.

Meditation Can Be Performed Anywhere

From Buddhist monks at the foothills of the Himalayas to businessmen in basements in Manhattan, meditation can be practiced at almost any location on earth. Finding a quiet and comfortable spot where you can meditate every day will increase your chances of sticking with this exercise and realizing its long-term benefits.

In addition to its health benefits, a long-term meditation routine has been shown to increase kindness and compassion as well as self-awareness. As more studies are conducted about all types of meditation, we'll learn even more about how this healthy exercise benefits the mind and body.