What are the benefits of meditation? 3 minute knowledge drops

Expand your mind every day with this new learning series.

Each day I’ll post a short, ~3 minute read that summarizes information from across a wide array of topics in science, art, history, and global politics.

Subscribe and follow along to be inspired, informed, and amazed, each and every day.

How does meditation affect the brain and body?

There is evidence that meditation can have a positive impact on the brain and the way it functions. Some potential benefits of meditation that have been observed in studies include:

• Reducing stress and anxiety
• Improving focus and attention
• Increasing self-awareness
• Reducing negative emotions and increasing positive emotions
• Improving sleep

There are several mechanisms by which meditation may affect the brain, including:

• Modulating the activity of certain brain regions and neurotransmitters involved in emotion regulation and attention
• Altering brain waves and their connectivity
• Increasing the thickness of certain areas of the brain involved in sensory and emotional processing

Meditation has been shown to have a number of potential benefits for physical health, including:

• Reducing blood pressure
• Improving symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Improving symptoms of psoriasis
• Reducing chronic pain
• Reducing inflammation

There are several mechanisms by which meditation may affect the body, including:

• Reducing the activity of the “fight or flight” stress response, which can help to lower blood pressure and improve immune function
• Modulating the activity of certain hormones and neurotransmitters involved in the stress response, such as cortisol and norepinephrine
• Activating the “relaxation response,” which is the body’s natural way of combating the effects of stress