Meditation is an ancient practice whose benefits are just now being confirmed with scientific methods. As researchers establish these benefits, people are beginning to adopt this practice. A survey found that the use of meditation among U.S. adults’ tripled in the space of five years.
There are different types of meditation, but they all have four things in common; a location free of distraction, a comfortable posture, focused attention, and an open attitude. Several research studies have been conducted to study the effects of meditation on various conditions, and there is evidence that it is beneficial. Some evidence-based benefits of meditation include:
Reducing Anxiety
Most people attempt meditation to reduce anxiety, and there’s a lot of evidence to support its benefit. Over a year, a study of 47 persons with chronic pain discovered that completing an 8-week meditation program resulted in notable improvements in depression, anxiety, and pain. Furthermore, some evidence suggests that various mindfulness and meditation techniques may help alleviate anxiety. Yoga, for example, has been demonstrated to assist people in lowering their anxiety. This is most likely owing to the advantages of both meditation practice and physical exertion.
Improves Concentration
Meditation practice on a daily basis improves the strength and endurance of your attention. Just like physical exercise, meditation improves your attention span. According to a study, persons who frequently practiced meditation did better on a visual test and had a longer attention span than those who had never tried meditation.
Overcome Addiction
Meditation can help you develop mental discipline, which can help break addictions by boosting self-control and awareness of triggers for addictive behaviors. Studies have demonstrated that meditation helps people learn to refocus their attention, manage their emotions and impulses, and better understand themselves.
Improves Sleep
Almost half of the population will have insomnia at some point. Learning to meditate can help you regulate or divert the rushing or racing thoughts that often lead to insomnia. A study compared mindfulness-based meditation methods and discovered that persons who meditated slept longer and had less severe insomnia than those who had an unmedicated control condition.
Stress Reduction
One of the most common reasons individuals practice meditation is to relieve stress. Many different types of meditation can help you relieve stress. It can also help persons with stress-related medical disorders minimize their symptoms. Meditation has also been found to reduce symptoms of stress-related diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome, post-traumatic stress disorder, and fibromyalgia.
