THE NEURON

Today we will discuss about a very ancient practice, yet it’s one of the best allies of our brain and body.

It’s the meditation….It’s origin dates back to thousands of years BC. In ancient Indian Vedas, the meditation has a very important part. The oldest documented evidence of the practice of meditation are wall arts in the Indian subcontinent from approximately 5,000 to 3,500 BC, showing people seated in meditative postures with half-closed eyes. There are many instances in our ancient history about meditation across cultures.But in modern age neuroscientists have discovered it’s several good effects on our brain and mind.

The meditation-and-the-brain research has been rolling in steadily for years now, with new studies coming out every week to illustrate some new benefit of meditation. Or, rather, some ancient benefit that is just now being confirmed with fMRI or EEG. The practice appears to have an amazing variety of neurological benefits.

It slows down the aging

Meditation slows down aging of brain by reducing cognitive stress. It prevents telomere shortening. A recently published 18 year analysis of the mind of a Buddhist monk by the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin-Madison found daily, intensive meditation slowed the monk’s brain aging by as much as eight years when compared to a control group.(1,2)

It improves memory

Meditation can actually change the structure of the brain. A study revealed meditation for weeks was found to increase cortical thickness in the hippocampus, which governs learning and memory, and in certain areas of the brain that play roles in emotion regulation. It also helps in concentration leading to improvement of short term memory. (3)

It reduces stress and anxiety

Meditation can reduce anxiety – and that these changes seem to be mediated through the brain regions associated with those self-referential (“me-centered”) thoughts. It decrease stress levels. (4)

It fights depression

Meditation helps decrease the symptoms of depression. In some studies it’s found th it’s effect is similar to effect of antidepressants. (5)

It improves sleep quality

Meditation improves sleep quality. It decreases sleep latency and solves other sleep related problems. (6)

Some questions always come to mind

– Can meditation cure depression: it can improve several symptoms of depression

– Do meditation increase concentration: yes it helps in concentration

– Does meditation improve memory: yes

– How meditation changes your brain: by changing brain volume of certain areas

– Should meditation be taught in schools: definitely.

Meditation is a very efficient way for wellbeing of our mind and body. So lets start meditation and keep our brain healthy in these gloomy time.

Please read and share…..

Do meditate be happy….

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1. Epel E, Daubenmier J, Moskowitz JT, Folkman S, Blackburn E. Can meditation slow rate of cellular aging? Cognitive stress, mindfulness, and telomeres. Annals of the new York Academy of Sciences. 2009 Aug;1172:34.

2. Adluru N, Korponay CH, Norton DL, Goldman RI, Davidson RJ. BrainAGE and regional volumetric analysis of a Buddhist monk: a longitudinal MRI case study. Neurocase. 2020 Mar 3;26(2):79-90.

3.Quach D, Mano KE, Alexander K. A randomized controlled trial examining the effect of mindfulness meditation on working memory capacity in adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Health. 2016 May 1;58(5):489-96.

4.Fadel Zeidan, Katherine T. Martucci, Robert A. Kraft, John G. McHaffie, Robert C. Coghill, Neural correlates of mindfulness meditation-related anxiety relief, Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, Volume 9, Issue 6, June 2014, Pages 751–759

5.Goyal M, Singh S, Sibinga EM, Gould NF, Rowland-Seymour A, Sharma R, Berger Z, Sleicher D, Maron DD, Shihab HM, Ranasinghe PD. Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA internal medicine. 2014 Mar 1;174(3):357-68.

6.Black DS, O’Reilly GA, Olmstead R, Breen EC, Irwin MR. Mindfulness meditation and improvement in sleep quality and daytime impairment among older adults with sleep disturbances: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA internal medicine. 2015 Apr 1;175(4):494-501.