Unleash Your Inner Power of Healing
Meditation is one of the best ways to relax, reduces anxiety and depression, relieves physical and emotional pain, improves the immune system, improves memory, and even increases compassion. Physiologically, these benefits are brought about by the changes in brainwave activity during meditation or a change in brainwave frequencies.
What Are Brainwave Frequencies?
There are five brain wave frequencies: Delta, Theta, Alpha, Beta, and Gamma
However, the question is, how does mediation change these frequencies and how is that related to how you feel?
Though once only anecdotal, the positive effects of meditation have long been known by yoga practitioners, pray circles, and new age thought enthusiasts. But did you know that these claims have now been backed up by science and modern technology? MRI scans verify that changes in brain chemistry occur as a result of meditation (1, 2). For example, anxiety and panic attacks have been linked with high beta waves, while alpha waves are associated with a more calm and relaxed state.
They also found that constant thinking and analyzing leads to an increase in beta waves, while creativity, imagination, play and meditation decrease beta waves. Further, too little gamma waves can also cause anxiety, ADHD, and depression, and once again by practicing meditation, you can increase gamma waves.
Meditation Reduces Pain
The act of meditating has even been proven to reduce pain simply by focusing on removing the discomfort from the body. What is interesting is that your brain cannot distinguish between actual physical pain and the pain produced by thought alone – anxiety and/or depression.
MRIs have been used to visually confirm the reduction in pain that occurs
after the use of pharmaceuticals. Changes of color can be seen in the “pain areas” of the brain before and after the pharmaceuticals have taken effect, which of course was not all that surprising.
But as researchers were studying the correlation between pain and brain activity, they were led to another unexpected discovery.
The placebo effect also showed remarkable changes in brain activity that resulted in pain reduction. Is it possible that we have the power to control pain simply by our thoughts and beliefs? And could an individual without years of training use tools such as meditation as a means of pain relief?
Another very interesting study set out to find answers to these questions.
A chronic pain sufferer was put into an MRI to track the changes in brain activity during a specific meditative exercise. The patient was instructed to relate the pain to a burning flame and to solely focus on lowering the intensity of the flame.
The premise was to see if the patient’s pain levels dropped as he focused on reducing the imaginary flame in his mind.
Amazingly, as the patient reported the reduction of the flame via mental concentration, the MRI concurrently showed a decrease of activity in the area of the brain that directly relates to pain.
Improve Your Health Through Deep Breathing & Meditation
There is something directly related to meditation that we take for granted every day – breathing.
Deep breathing, in and of itself, is a form of meditation. In fact, we all subconsciously use deep breathing whenever we feel stress, anticipation, or the need to calm ourselves when we are experiencing anger.
Deep breathing for a few minutes every day can have amazing effects on your health. For example, deep breathing:
- Strengthens your immune system
- Massages your internal organs
- Brings clarity to the mind
- Increases energy levels as you take in more oxygen
- Relieves tension
- Improves posture
- Calms emotions
- Relieves pain
Though meditation may be practiced in any position, yogis incorporate the use of strength and flexibility by practicing poses in conjunction with controlled breathing.
Increased flexibility results in the following health benefits:
- Reduces joint pain by reducing muscle tension on the joints
- Decreases the risk of muscle injury and promotes more agility in movement
- Improves posture
- Increases self-confidence by allowing one to participate in more activities without pain
- Improves the lymphatic system
The benefits of meditation are numerous and there is now mounting evidence to support its place in a healthy lifestyle. We are all busy with our day-to-day routines that revolve around family, friends and professional obligations, and I understand that the thought of carving out time to meditate may seem daunting, however, who can’t spare just five to ten minutes a day? Because even just a short meditative period will result in a more relaxed, focused and compassionate you.
Consider this, for just a few short minutes a day imagine how being the best possible you not only makes you feel better but also benefits those around you…especially the ones you love. What a win WIN!
