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BETTER YOU
The benefits of meditation
A meditation practice has well-recognized benefits—physical, cognitive, and emotional—that derive from both calming and focusing the mind. Please see the useful pages on the Benefits of Meditation from the NIH Center to learn more about them. We will also direct you to some of the Key References cited in this NIH webpage as well as many other studies on meditation that have been published in respected journals. The likely benefits described below are for normal, healthy adults who engage in a consistent meditation practice.
PHYSICAL
From sleeping better to a stronger immune system, meditation can profoundly improve the way you feel physically.
Helps promote and support better sleep
Mindfulness meditation can be an effective treatment option for those with chronic insomnia. Participants in clinical studies reported sleeping better and feeling more refreshed after a restful night’s sleep.
Strengthens immunity
Do you find yourself taking more sick days than you’d like? Research indicates that meditation may be helpful in strengthening our immune system, which in turn can help us resist certain illnesses and viruses.
May help maintain healthy blood pressure
Recent studies have shown that mindfulness-based meditation can significantly reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure. It may also lessen the risk of developing hypertension in many individuals.
Reduces sensations of pain
Is meditation the new painkiller? Studies have indicated that mindfulness meditation may result in a decrease in chronic pain symptoms for some individuals, including those with lower back pain.
Cognitive
Meditation can improve your memory, focus, productivity and problem-solving so you can perform better and more efficiently.
Promotes sharper memory
If you experience moments of forgetfulness, meditation can help. Studies have demonstrated that mindfulness meditation can result in the improvement of working memory and recognition memory in many adults.
Increases mental focus
A consistent meditation routine may improve mental focus by reducing wandering of the mind and helping you resist distractions. In one study, participants showed an increase of almost 20% in sustained attention.
Helps fuel productivity
Looking to get more accomplished? Meditation may be just the thing. Research has indicated that meditation can improve efficiency by improving our ability to sustain attention and helping us control distracting impulses.
Improves problem solving
When life throws curveballs your way, meditation might be the answer. Meditation has been shown to promote insightful problem-solving by transporting us to a more mindful and alert conscious state.
EMOTIONAL
With regular meditation, you’ll be better equipped emotionally to navigate your life with more poise, confidence and calm.
Helps with mild depression
A growing body of research has shown that regular meditation can significantly improve depressive symptoms in some individuals and may potentially prevent relapses from happening.
Reduces stress
Mindfulness-based meditation has been shown to reduce stress by helping individuals improve coping skills and diminishing habitual tendencies to react emotionally to challenging situations.
Supports greater sense of self-esteem
There is evidence that meditation can help you boost your self-esteem. It does so by helping you better reduce negative self-beliefs and nurture a more gentle and accepting attitude toward yourself.
Helps reduce mild anxiety
Numerous studies have indicated that mindfulness-based meditation may have a beneficial effect on symptoms of mild anxiety by reducing negative thinking and rumination.
Setting the right expectations
The material in this benefits section is for consumer informational purposes only. Nothing in this website is intended as, or should be construed as, medical advice. Consumers should consult with their own healthcare practitioners for individual, medical recommendations. Meditation is not intended as a means to cure, treat, prevent, or mitigate any disease or other medical or abnormal condition. Rather, it is intended to promote and support wellness and better health as shown in the scientific articles referenced below. Meditation should never be used as a substitute for an Rx drug.
It's Time You Rewired
PHYSICAL
Helps promote and support better sleep
Ong JC, Manber R, Segal Z, Xia Y, Shapiro S, Wyatt JK. A randomized controlled trial of mindfulness meditation for chronic insomnia. Sleep. 2014;37(9):1553–1563. Published 2014 Sep 1. doi:10.5665/sleep.4010
Gong H, Ni CX, Liu YZ, et al. Mindfulness meditation for insomnia: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. J Psychosom Res. 2016;89:1–6. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2016.07.016
Hubbling A, Reilly-Spong M, Kreitzer MJ, Gross CR. How mindfulness changed my sleep: focus groups with chronic insomnia patients. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2014;14:50. Published 2014 Feb 10. doi:10.1186/1472-6882-14-50
Strengthens immunity
Morgan N, Irwin MR, Chung M, Wang C. The effects of mind-body therapies on the immune system: meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2014;9(7):e100903. Published 2014 Jul 2. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0100903
Househam AM, Peterson CT, Mills PJ, Chopra D. The Effects of Stress and Meditation on the Immune System, Human Microbiota, and Epigenetics. Adv Mind Body Med. 2017;31(4):10–25.
Black DS, Slavich GM. Mindfulness meditation and the immune system: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2016;1373(1):13–24. doi:10.1111/nyas.12998
May help maintain healthy blood pressure
Goldstein CM, Josephson R, Xie S, Hughes JW. Current perspectives on the use of meditation to reduce blood pressure. Int J Hypertens. 2012;2012:578397. doi:10.1155/2012/578397
Nidich SI, Rainforth MV, Haaga DA, et al. A randomized controlled trial on effects of the Transcendental Meditation program on blood pressure, psychological distress, and coping in young adults. Am J Hypertens. 2009;22(12):1326–1331. doi:10.1038/ajh.2009.184
Brook RD, Appel LJ, Rubenfire M, et al. Beyond medications and diet: alternative approaches to lowering blood pressure: a scientific statement from the american heart association. Hypertension. 2013;61(6):1360–1383. doi:10.1161/HYP.0b013e318293645f
Reduces sensation of pain
Cherkin DC, Sherman KJ, Balderson BH, et al. Effect of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction vs Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or Usual Care on Back Pain and Functional Limitations in Adults With Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2016;315(12):1240–1249. doi:10.1001/jama.2016.2323
Reiner K, Tibi L, Lipsitz JD. Do mindfulness-based interventions reduce pain intensity? A critical review of the literature. Pain Med. 2013;14(2):230–242. doi:10.1111/pme.12006
Hilton L, Hempel S, Ewing BA, et al. Mindfulness Meditation for Chronic Pain: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Ann Behav Med. 2017;51(2):199–213. doi:10.1007/s12160-016-9844-2
COGNITIVE
Promotes sharper memory
Quach D, Jastrowski Mano KE, Alexander K. A Randomized Controlled Trial Examining the Effect of Mindfulness Meditation on Working Memory Capacity in Adolescents. J Adolesc Health. 2016;58(5):489–496. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2015.09.024
Basso JC, McHale A, Ende V, Oberlin DJ, Suzuki WA. Brief, daily meditation enhances attention, memory, mood, and emotional regulation in non-experienced meditators. Behav Brain Res. 2019;356:208–220. doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2018.08.023
Mrazek MD, Franklin MS, Phillips DT, Baird B, Schooler JW. Mindfulness training improves working memory capacity and GRE performance while reducing mind wandering. Psychol Sci. 2013;24(5):776–781. doi:10.1177/0956797612459659
Increases mental focus
Tsai SY, Jaiswal S, Chang CF, Liang WK, Muggleton NG, Juan CH. Meditation Effects on the Control of Involuntary Contingent Reorienting Revealed With Electroencephalographic and Behavioral Evidence. Front Integr Neurosci. 2018;12:17. Published 2018 May 15. doi:10.3389/fnint.2018.00017
DeLosAngeles D, Williams G, Burston J, et al. Electroencephalographic correlates of states of concentrative meditation. Int J Psychophysiol. 2016;110:27–39. doi:10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2016.09.020
Blase KL, van Waning A. Heart Rate Variability, Cortisol and Attention Focus During Shamatha Quiescence Meditation. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback. 2019;44(4):331–342. doi:10.1007/s10484-019-09448-w
Helps fuel productivity
Kozasa EH, Sato JR, Lacerda SS, et al. Meditation training increases brain efficiency in an attention task. Neuroimage. 2012;59(1):745–749. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2011.06.088
Deepeshwar S, Vinchurkar SA, Visweswaraiah NK, Nagendra HR. Hemodynamic responses on prefrontal cortex related to meditation and attentional task. Front Syst Neurosci. 2015;8:252. Published 2015 Feb 17. doi:10.3389/fnsys.2014.00252
Elliott JC, Wallace BA, Giesbrecht B. A week-long meditation retreat decouples behavioral measures of the alerting and executive attention networks. Front Hum Neurosci. 2014;8:69. Published 2014 Feb 17. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2014.00069
Improves problem solving
Ren J, Huang Z, Luo J, et al. Meditation promotes insightful problem-solving by keeping people in a mindful and alert conscious state. Sci China Life Sci. 2011;54(10):961–965. doi:10.1007/s11427-011-4233-3
Chambers, Richard & Lo, Barbara & Allen, Nicholas. (2008). The Impact of Intensive Mindfulness Training on Attentional Control, Cognitive Style, and Affect. Cognitive Therapy and Research. 32. 303-322. 10.1007/s10608-007-9119-0.
EMOTIONAL
Helps with mild depression
Kasala ER, Bodduluru LN, Maneti Y, Thipparaboina R. Effect of meditation on neurophysiological changes in stress mediated depression. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2014;20(1):74–80. doi:10.1016/j.ctcp.2013.10.001
Hofmann SG, Petrocchi N, Steinberg J, et al. Loving-Kindness Meditation to Target Affect in Mood Disorders: A Proof-of-Concept Study. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2015;2015:269126. doi:10.1155/2015/269126
Jaimie L. Burns, Randolph M. Lee & Lauren J. Brown (2011) The Effect of Meditation on Self-Reported Measures of Stress, Anxiety, Depression, and Perfectionism in a College Population, Journal of College Student Psychotherapy, 25:2, 132-144, DOI: 10.1080/87568225.2011.556947
Reduces stress
Jaimie L. Burns, Randolph M. Lee & Lauren J. Brown (2011) The Effect of Meditation on Self-Reported Measures of Stress, Anxiety, Depression, and Perfectionism in a College Population, Journal of College Student Psychotherapy, 25:2, 132-144, DOI: 10.1080/87568225.2011.556947
Elder C, Nidich S, Moriarty F, Nidich R. Effect of transcendental meditation on employee stress, depression, and burnout: a randomized controlled study. Perm J. 2014;18(1):19–23. doi:10.7812/TPP/13-102
Charles N. Alexander, Gerald C. Swanson, Maxwell V. Rainforth, Thomas W. Carlisle, Christopher C. Todd & Robert M. Oates Jr. (1993) Effects of the transcendental meditation program on stress reduction, health, and employee development: A prospective study in two occupational settings, Anxiety, Stress & Coping, 6:3, 245-262, DOI: 10.1080/10615809308248383
Supports greater sense of self-esteem
Goldin PR, Gross JJ. Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on emotion regulation in social anxiety disorder. Emotion. 2010;10(1):83–91. doi:10.1037/a0018441
Goldin P, Ziv M, Jazaieri H, Hahn K, Gross JJ. MBSR vs aerobic exercise in social anxiety: fMRI of emotion regulation of negative self-beliefs. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci. 2013;8(1):65–72. doi:10.1093/scan/nss054
Hoge EA, Bui E, Marques L, et al. Randomized controlled trial of mindfulness meditation for generalized anxiety disorder: effects on anxiety and stress reactivity. J Clin Psychiatry. 2013;74(8):786–792. doi:10.4088/JCP.12m08083
Helps reduce mild anxiety
Hoge EA, Bui E, Marques L, et al. Randomized controlled trial of mindfulness meditation for generalized anxiety disorder: effects on anxiety and stress reactivity. J Clin Psychiatry. 2013;74(8):786–792. doi:10.4088/JCP.12m08083
Goyal M, Singh S, Sibinga EMS, et al. Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Intern Med. 2014;174(3):357–368. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.13018
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