{"id":748,"date":"2008-10-31T06:00:41","date_gmt":"2008-10-31T10:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/meditation-health-benefits\/"},"modified":"2013-08-19T12:23:07","modified_gmt":"2013-08-19T20:23:07","slug":"meditation-health-benefits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/meditation-health-benefits\/","title":{"rendered":"How Meditation Improves Your Health (Part Three)"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>


\n Photo by j \/ f \/ photos<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

If you have been following this series on the health benefits of meditation, then hopefully you have given meditation a go by now, and as you meditate and relax, you may well have asked yourself \u2018What is actually happening here?\u2019<\/p>\n

What is happening is this \u2013 The Relaxation Response is kicking in, thanks to your Parasympathetic Nervous System, which is the opposite of your Sympathetic Nervous System.<\/p>\n

When you meditate, or rest effectively, the Parasympathetic Nervous System takes over and gets to work reversing the \u2018flight or fight\u2019 stress response, counteracting its effects, relaxing the mind and taking your body on a healing journey back to a balanced state of homeostasis.<\/p>\n

This is the Relaxation Response. It is proven scientific fact.<\/p>\n

This is the single most tangible thing that beginning a regular practice of meditation can do for you and your health. Meditation can be of great help if you are a person who has trouble switching off the mind and unwinding. Even if you are a fairly chilled-out person, you will still benefit from the deeper levels of relaxation, and the healing that this will encourage.
\n
\nHow To Achieve Biological Balance<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Relaxation Response is important in achieving biological balance, or homeostasis.<\/p>\n

It is when you are moving towards this state of homeostasis that your body sets about repairing itself and combating pathogens. In order to achieve this desirable state you need to learn to relax. Sounds obvious, but in fact it is a skill that many people need to consciously learn.<\/p>\n

The idea of relaxation being a barbeque with friends or walking the dog just isn\u2019t enough \u2013 helpful, yes – but not enough. Your mind keeps busy with worries when you walk the dog, and you just plain distract yourself from \u2018your-self\u2019 when you hang out with friends.<\/p>\n

When you meditate<\/a> you can measurably feel deep relaxation taking place. Firstly, when you sit down, take stock of yourself. Is your mind racing? How would you describe your mood? Are you irritated or stressed? Excited? Happy? Bored? Depressed?<\/p>\n

Then notice physical things about your body like tense shoulders, headaches, or other discomfort. Even those of us who are particularly young and\/or fit will notice the subtle imperfections inherent to life in the physical realm when you take the time to meditate.<\/p>\n

The Many Benefits of Meditation<\/strong><\/p>\n

So to sum up: the benefits you can gain from meditation are increased physical health and increased mental health. This means that if it is possible that your body\/mind can heal or recover from any condition or ailment, then a regular, effective meditation practice will assist this process to occur in a more dynamic and expedient manner. It does this by allowing the immune system to do its job better, and by helping you to be happier and less stressed.<\/p>\n

But: an important point \u2013 meditation isn\u2019t an instant cure-all. There are generally no easy \u2018outs\u2019 in this life \u2013 the fact is benefit must be earned, health must be preserved and damage is often hard to undo.<\/p>\n

Encouragingly, meditation can represent a major breakthrough in your life. You are unlikely to suddenly meditate<\/a> your way from down-in-the-dumps to on-top-of-the-world in your first sitting, but you can expect to make some leaps forward in your progression through life.<\/p>\n

Beginning to understand and practice meditation can be a glorious eye-opening experience. It can take you (or rather you can take yourself) on a long and interesting journey inwards towards a more positive frame of mind and a happier, healthier and probably longer life.<\/p>\n

Seamus Anthony is a writer, musician and entrepreneur. He is the author of “Psychedelic Meditation: How to Get an Awesome Cosmic High Without Drugs”<\/a> and one half of the action at Rebel Zen.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

PS – In case you missed them, here are Part One<\/a> and Part Two<\/a> of this “How Meditation Improves Your Health” series.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Photo by j \/ f \/ photos If you have been following this series on the health benefits of meditation, then hopefully you have given meditation a go by now, and as you meditate and relax, you may well have … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12163,"featured_media":749,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[24],"tags":[537,4654,2983],"yoast_head":"\nHow Meditation Improves Your Health (Part Three) - Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If you have been following this series on the health benefits of meditation, then hopefully you have given meditation a go by now, and as you meditate and relax, you may well have asked yourself \u2018What is actually happening here?\u2019\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/meditation-health-benefits\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How Meditation Improves Your Health (Part Three) - 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