Meditation

Stress is something most of us deal with on some level. And it's increasing, given the rising use of anti-anxiety medications. Meditation allows people to take charge of their own nervous system and emotions. Studies have shown improved ability to [permanently] regulate emotions in the brain. 
It improves concentration. 

You can become more centered and focused in everything you do. At least one study has shown an improved ability to multitask.  Meditation has been linked to a number of things that lead to increased ability to focus, memory …  Greater concentration is related to the increased energy meditation provides. it connects you with your real source of energy.

It Creates Desire For A Healthy Lifestyle

You become more aware of your body and tend to want more things that are better for yourself. Apply the Hippocratic oath -- "First, do no harm" -- to yourself. You just want to put good things in your body. That means "closest to what's natural. Becoming more intune with yourself allows you to see what nutrients your body needs and your desire for healthier foods and exercise may increase. 

Meditation Can Make You Happier

"Meditation puts you on the fast track to being happy," says Ronnie Newman, director of research and health promotion for the Art of Living Foundation.  Studies have shown that brain signaling increases in the left side of the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for positive emotions, while activity decreases in the right side, responsible for negative emotions, Newman says. The other benefits of meditation, including increased self-awareness and acceptance, also contribute to improved overall well-being.Studies show that meditation changes brain physiology to slow aging. "Cognition seems to be preserved in meditators," says Sara Lazar, a researcher at Harvard University. Lazar adds that meditators also have more gray matter – literally, more brain cells. Lazar's colleague, Elizabeth Hoge, did a study that showed that meditators also have longer telomeres, the caps on chromosomes indicative of biological age (rather than chronological). That meditation lengthens life "may be a bit of a stretch," Hoge says. "But there is something about meditation that is associated with longer telomeres … [perhaps that] it reduces stress and its effects on the body."


The practice benefits cardiovascular and immune health. Meditation induces relaxation, which increases the compound nitric oxide that causes blood vessels to open up and subsequently, blood pressure to drop. One study, published in 2008 in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, showed that 40 of 60 high blood pressure patients who started meditating could stop taking their blood pressure medication. Meditation may also improves immunity. Studies have shown those that meditate tend to get sick less often. Meditation may be a new practice you want to explore to improve your awareness of  body and mind.