How Meditation Can Promote Good Health 

Comment: Looking for a way to reduce blood pressure, alleviate depression, reduce anxiety, improve memory, or simply relax? Meditation can help with all of these things and it only needs to be done for about 20 minutes a day to be effective.

 

Research: Many studies find that daily meditation cuts heart attack death rates by half, this article reviews other health benefits attributed to the practice.

 

Meditation can alleviate depression. One study of 36 patients with clinical depression found that symptoms almost halved after just three months of meditation practices and the benefits were maintained for over a year. 

 

People who meditate in the long-term have ‘significantly larger’ hippocmapi – the part of the brain associated with memory and learning – a study found. So it also improves memory.

 

Meditation reduces blood pressure and stroke risk. A study showed a 47% reduction in strokes, death and heart attacks as a result of meditating.

 

Meditation can have greater pain relieving effects than morphine and it is one of the best ways to relax your body. Studies found that increased neuron connectivity was found in parts of the brain that were important for regulating emotional behaviour and dealing with conflict. 

 

Lastly, meditation reduces anxiety by reducing levels of stress-causing hormone, cortisol. Study subjects who were taught to meditate for 20 minutes per day for five days had measureably less anxiety.

 

Read the original article here 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/8601795/How-meditation-could-help-your-health.html