Here’s What 10 Minutes of Meditation a Day Does to Your Brain
Here’s What 10 Minutes of Meditation a Day Does to Your Brain
Have you ever considered meditation?
This is a simple exercise that anyone can try and that has been shown by a ton of evidence to have significant and profound health benefits. And guess what? In order to experience the benefits to their fullest, you don’t need to spend hours a day sat in the lotus position!
You can meditate for just 10 minutes a day or even less and still see some profound changes.
Listen to the rest of this presentation and I’ll share some of those profound changes with you. And trust me, they’re going to blow your mind.
#1 Cortical Thickness
First, meditation has been shown to increase cortical thickness in the key frontal regions of the brain. In plain English, that means your brain is actually growing and getting heavier as new brain cells are created and new connections are formed between them. As you might expect, this then correlates with improved performance, making us smarter, boosting our memory and helping us to focus on complex tasks. IQ scores have even been shown to improve as a result of regular meditation!
#2 White Cells Proliferate
When you think of your brain, you probably think of ‘grey matter’. Well, the brain is also made of white matter. This tissue has the very important job of protecting the grey matter and supporting it in a range of important processes. It can help to prevent deterioration and encourage signalling to occur more quickly and stronger. In short, you become more alert and switched on!
#3 Aging Slows Down
One of the most serious health issues that come with aging is the effect that getting older has on the brain. We all know memory is impaired as we age and we can become more forgetful and absent minded. Risk of conditions like Alzheimer’s also increases.
But studies show that the growth of new tissue continues into old age and that this can actually help to slow down some of that deterioration. In other words, meditation is like a fountain of youth for your brain!
#4 Neurochemical Balance Improves
Finally, meditation can also cause changes in the production of various different neurochemicals. This reduces the production of stress hormones like cortisol and increases the production of happiness hormones like serotonin. In this way, I can actually work like an antidepressant which is why it should come as no surprise that studies show meditation can be as effective as antidepressants under the right circumstances!
