Welcome to My World – Meditation & Relaxation

Hello World!  Hope all is well with you today! I’ve posted about meditation before in previous posts but I wanted to revisit this topic today as it is important to me…

Meditation Improves Blood Flow to the Brain

When we think of our brain health, few of us consider meditation, yet

meditation can be surprisingly effective to boost your brain health. That’s because this simple act is effective for reducing your stress levels & the resulting stress hormones that can have a negative impact on your brain.

Research

published in the journal Psychiatry Research found that meditation improves blood flow to your brain & these changes last long after the meditation is over.  Scientists at the Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center at UCLA studied the effects of meditation on the “stress” circuits of your brain. Ten experienced meditators performed two types of meditation: a focus-based meditative technique & a breath-based practice. The meditators’ brains were scanned using MRI technology before they started, during their meditation practices & following their meditation.

Researchers found that four regions of your brain were affected during

meditation & the 2 types of meditation states cause different patterns of blood flow to your brain; however, both techniques improved blood flow to the brain. Some of the brain changes continued even after your meditation stopped.

While research in this area is still in its infancy, the positive impact of meditation on blood flow to your brain may have applications in treating brain disorders or stroke & in keeping your brain healthy for the long-term.

Meditation

has also been linked to mood improvements, pain threshold

increases, increases in your immune system activity & improved bronchial & arterial muscle tone.  Other research at the University of Wisconsin’s Center for Healthy Minds found meditation can improve attention in children. While the studies show a wide variety of health improvements linked to meditation, they consistently show a reduction in your stress hormones & a reversal in the effects of chronic stress.

While many people associate meditation with religion, it’s actually a simple technique that transcends religious beliefs. It is a mental vacation from the stresses of your daily life whereby you center your mind & create a sense of peacefulness. The rewards are worth the minimal effort it takes to meditate.

Meditation is easy to learn,

requires no expensive equipment for you to buy & can be done almost

anywhere. All you need is commitment & a small amount of time. While participants in the study practiced for one hour a day, even a few minutes daily will be helpful.

There are many different types of meditation. Don’t get bogged down in finding the ideal one for you; that sort of quest is often just an excuse for procrastinating anyway. There are a million or more reason for not meditating, starting with “I don’t have time” or “I’m too tired,” but they are all simply excuses for not making your health a priority. No one has the time. How you spend your time is up to you.

Here is a simple, yet effective, meditation exercise: 

Play peaceful background music while performing this meditation or you can have silence—whichever you prefer.

1. Sit in a comfortable position where you won’t be disturbed & close your
   

   meditation for relaxation & destressing is great for you.

   eyes. Keep your head upright & shoulders relaxed.

2. Begin by breathing deeply & steadily; Do not force your breathing. Simply breathe as deeply as you comfortably can. Observe your breath.
3. Begin to allow your breath to expand your abdomen. Comfortably expand your abdomen with each inhalation, & then release your abdomen with every exhalation.
4. Continue breathing deeply for at least 10 minutes. The longer you can meditate, the better.

Meditation gets easier with practice; Take some time each day to meditate; your brain and your body will thank you.

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This is a good easy read.  I already do some meditation, but want to do more.   Meditation can change your life for the better. I seem to get away from the practice of meditation at times and I can feel the stress returning so I need to work at this. I’d love to hear your thoughts about this. You can leave a comment below and tell me what you think…