Oooom…. Oooom… That’s meditation, right? This practice is trending topic now (again), and this time not because it is a fashion practice, but because science says so. A new study from Harvard University has shown that meditating everyday can change our brain, and maybe that’s way you feel better after meditating!.
It works in just a few weeks and in a measurable way, it changes brain structure in areas related to memory, emotional control, and stress (especially important in these times). Let’s talk about meditation!
Meditation heals
The research was led by neuroscientist Sara Lazar and she followed a group of people for eight weeks who practiced mindfulness meditation regularly, approximately 27 minutes per day. No spiritual retreats or endless hours sitting in silence, just 27 minutes everyday.
Before and after the program, MRI scans were done and they discovered that the hippocampus (the area of memory, learning, and emotional management) had undergone changes, and activity in areas associated with stress and fear response also decreased!
The adult brain changes!!
For a long time it was believed that the brain no longer changed after a certain age (you’re an adult now), but the reality is that neuroplasticity exists and lasts throughout a human being’s life. When we meditate, it is as if we are doing mental training (just like leg day at the gym)
Less stress
It is important to be clear that meditating is not about emptying the mind (basically because that is practically impossible). What you learn by meditating is to relate differently to thoughts and to tell your body that it is not in any danger even if it feels like it is being chased by a lion because of stress.
That is why when meditating, activity is reduced in the areas of the brain related to constant worry and you notice less anxiety and a much greater sense of control. It is all advantages.
Why 27 minutes?
Because there is no need to spend half your life meditating, that will be so boring! The key is not the consistency you practice so. Twenty seven minutes (one more or one less) are manageable everyday, fit into our real routines, and day after day allow the brain to strengthen emotional regulation without feeling like an obligation.
Does it change our routine?
Yes, it does not only change our MRI scans, the users who participated in the study said that after meditating they had more concentration, less reactivity, and better problem management. That is why more and more companies, schools, and clinical settings are incorporating meditation as a preventive tool, not as something mystical, but as mental hygiene!
A habit with scientific backing
Unlike so many passing trends, mindfulness has an increasingly solid scientific foundation behind it, and this study now shows real and measurable benefits in the human body. No pills, no prior knowledge, nothing, just taking care of our brain and ourselves for a little while.
Start meditating today
- Look for a comfortable environment for you. If you do not feel capable of lasting half an hour, five minutes will be more than enough.
- Do not try to “empty your mind”.
- Feel comfortable doing it, it does not matter if your back is more or less straight.
- Inhale counting to 4, exhale counting to 6. If you get lost, start again, and if you have a Tibetan bowl, it will help too.
- You can use audios, videos, or apps to start.
- And remember that if one day it does not work out, it is fine. Meditating is also about not punishing yourself.
Taking care of our brain is taking care of our health and ourselves, and it does not take more than half an hour a day to do it.