We all know meditation is "good for us", but we are too busy.
Well busy readers, consider this:
Meditation is a highly recommended practice since centuries. And after you read these 76 awesome Meditation Benefits, it should be no surprise why! Best of all, these benefits are backed by solid Scientific Research. Some techniques may vary here and there, but almost any technique of meditation is sure to reap good Great Benefits.
(No wonder we have Meditation Challenges and classes are almost everywhere.)
Benefits on Brain and Mind
Benefit: Regulates Mood swings and Anxiety disorders.
Source: The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, Jama Network
Benefit: Reduces symptoms of Panic disorder & Anxiety Disorder.
Source: American Journal of Psychiatry
Benefit: Increases Gray Matter in the brain.
Source: Psychiatry Research Neuroimaging, ScienceDirect
Benefit: Allocate limited brain resources and better control over perception.
Source: PLOS Biology
Benefit: Improves Visuospatial processing and working memory.
Source: ScienceDirect
Benefit: Increases cortical thickness in areas related to paying attention.
Source: NCBI
Well-being and Emotional Benefits
Benefit: Decreases Depression.
Source: ScienceDaily, Link Springer, Jama Network
Benefit: Greatly helps in reducing General stress.
Source: NCBI, Wiley Online Library, ScienceDirect, American Psychosomtic Medicine Journal, Medical News Today
Benefit: Increases Mental strength and Emotional Intelligence.
Source: Dr. Ron Alexander, Wise Mind, Open Mind (Book)
Benefit: Gives stronger resistance against pain.
Source: Time Magazine, NCBI, David Lynch Foundation
Benefit: Decreases feelings of Loneliness.
Source: ScienceDirect
Benefit: Relieves pain better than Morphine.
Source: Huffington Post
Benefit: Prepares you to deal with stressful events.
Source: The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine
Benefit: Increases feelings of compassion
Source: Stanford, Sage Journals.
Benefit: Increases positivity & Optimism
Source: Psychosomatic Medicine, Psycnet
Benefit: Helps you sleep deeper and better.
Source: Research concurs
Benefit: Regulates your emotions and quietens your mind.
Source: Stanford
Productivity and Performance
Benefit: Helps increase Empathy and Positive Relationships.
Source: ScienceDaily, NCBI, PLOS One
Benefit: Reduces Social isolation
Source: American Psychological Association
Benefit: Improves Confidence and Self-esteem
Source: Stanford
Benefit: Improves attention span and ability to work well.
Source: Time Magazine, NCBI, Link Springer
Benefit: Improves decision making.
Source: UCLA Newsroom
Benefit: Ability to focus in spite of distractions.
Source: Frontiers Journal
Benefit: Helps with Memory and Self-awareness.
Source: NCBI
Benefit: Improves Rapid memory call.
Source: PsychCentral
Benefit: Contributes to Psychological Well-Being.
Source: Link Springer
Benefit: Reduces Multi-tasking and there by increasing efficiency of work. By the way, Multi-tasking is not as productive as you might think!
Source: ACM Digital Library
Benefit: Promotes Creativity.
Source: The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine
Benefit: Increases volume in areas of brain related to enriched Positive emotions & Self-control
Source: Science Direct, Psychosomatic Medicine
Health Benefits
Benefit: Improves Psychomotor vigilance, and may decrease sleep need.
Source: NCBI, DoctorsOnTM, Time Magazine
Benefit: Reduces the risk of heart diseases.
Source: Time Magazine, American Heart Association, HealthCentral
Benefit: Affects genes that control stress and immunity.
Source: Bloomberg, NCBI, American Psychosomatic Medicine Journal, Journal of International Society of Psychoneuroendocrinology
Benefit: Regulates Blood Pressure.
Source: The Journal of Alternative and Complimentary Medicine, NPR News
Benefit: Decreases Inflammatory diseases.
Source: University of Winsconsin Madison, HealthCentral, Medical News Today
Benefit: Cellular level inflammation.
Source: ScienceDirect, ScienceDirect, ScienceDirect
Benefit: Manages heart rate and respiratory rate.
Source: KoreaScience
Benefit: May make you live longer.
Source: Wiley Online Library
Benefit: Improves Fertility.
Source: WebMD
Benefit: Clearer Skin through stress reduction.
Source: ScienceDaily
Health Complaints and Addictions
Benefit: Reduces alcohol and substance abuse.
Source: Journal Of Alternative and Complementary Medicine
Benefit: Helps with ADHD.
Source: Clinical Neurophysiology Journal, DoctorsOnTM
Benefit: Prevents asthma and Rheumatoid arthritis.
Source: Medical News Today
Benefit: May help treat HIV.
Source: ScienceDaily
Benefit: Helps people with Alzheimer.
Source: HealthCentral
Benefit: Reduces Emotional Eating
Source: DoctorsOnTM
Benefit: Helps with Fibromyalgia.
Source: NCBI, NCBI, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics Journal
Benefit: Helps people suffering with alcoholism.
Source: TM Home
Benefit: Relieves Migraine.
Source: Medical News Today
Benefits for Women & Misc.
Benefit: Helps greatly with Postpartum Depression/Blues.
Source: Medical News Today
Benefit: Helps with PMS and Menopause.
Source: The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine
Benefit: Helps with breast feeding
Source: WebMD
Benefit: Helps you introspect.
Source: Berkeley
Benefit: Helps you be non-judgmental and get in touch with yourself.
Source: Huffington Post
Benefit: Help you lose weight.
Source: WebMD
Benefit: Can Sometimes control Nervous system (Rare, though.)
Source: Science Daily
Benefit: Known to develop Intuition.
Source: Eco Institute
Benefit: Reduces free radicals.
Source: Truth About TM
I hope these reasons and (their scientific research) should be good enough to motivate us to start meditating from today.
Now, I’d love it if you answered a small question in the comments.
Here’s my answer: I meditate everyday with a goal of improving my focus, reducing my anger and to be better, positive and empathetic person.
I would love to know your answer too! 🙂
