Meditation: Don’t be a Goldfish

Meditation is the most fundamental forms of mindfulness that can take place in many various forms – from prayer being a form of meditation to more Eastern traditions such as chanting. Luckily, the mysticism associated with meditation in itself has largely subsided and numerous research points to the benefits of mindfulness. We explore a few scientific benefits from the act of meditation.

Stress Reduction Anxiety is on the rise – we are now hard-wired to our phones and devices – to the rings, pings and dings, alerts, likes, follows and all that comes along with our connected culture.

But the downside to that is an unsettled mind – and disease is just that – dis-ease. You need a calm and settled mind in order to go about your day but your body also needs it to do its daily work. With anti-anxiety medication uptake on the rise, do you think you can find just 10 minutes a day to change your life? Meditation increases your ability to regulate emotions in the brain – and what is life if not a series of emotions.

Better Concentration Last week at yoga class, the instructor asked if we could just find ten seconds to keep our thoughts at bay and our mind clear. TEN SECONDS. Back in the late 1990’s when I just discovered the usefulness of meditation, the tapes and books would ask for minutes. In 2015, a study by Microsoft noted that people generally lose concentration after eight seconds.

Prior to the mobile revolution, it was 12 seconds. So congrats, you know have an attention span lower than a goldfish – which clocks in at nine seconds. Meditation can extend that – helping you get more done in less time.

Self-awareness, happiness and acceptance Sounds a little loopy doesn’t it? Do we need more acceptance and self-awareness? Look at our increasing rates of crime, incidents of violent road rage and even obesity. We do and meditation can get you there simply by the way it changes the focus, vibration and intention of your day. Suffering in a situation doesn’t mean you actually have to suffer – meditation can change your perspective on it, to _ nd ways around, under or through. Or perhaps you just need a powerful jolt to not feel down this morning, to not turn to that addiction, to not be sad.. meditation can powerfully rewire your thought processes. And as for happiness ... try it and see for yourself.

Slower aging and better health Sara Lazar, a researcher at Harvard University reveals that meditators have more gray matter which literally equates to more brain cells. Her colleague, Elizabeth Hoge, also revealed in a study that meditators also have longer telomeres, which are the caps on chromosomes indicative of biological age (instead of age in terms of numbers of years) While it may not be that meditation lengthens life, it is highly possibly that it does improve overall quality of life by slowing the effects of stress (and thus aging) Making better informed choices first thing in the morning can also lead to better choices in your breakfast, lunch and dinner options - maybe even in your choice of friends, your career and more.

Need a life change? You just need to start with ten minutes a day.

More next week.

This advice is culled from dozens of books, medical studies, discussions with professionals and experience.

Always consult your doctor, your nutritionist or preferred health advisor before starting any health changes. Most of all, listen to your body and honour yourself.