For centuries, meditation practitioners in Eastern cultures have believed that meditation can keep you younger. Today, more and more doctors believe it can be a powerful tool to help maintain our mental, physical, and emotional health as we age.
Some of the best things about meditation? It’s free. Comes with no side effects. And doesn’t require much time. All you have to do is set aside about 15 minutes every day. Here are some of the anti-aging benefits of learning to be still with your thoughts.
Meditation’s Anti-Aging Impact
- Meditation helps memory. The dominant long-term and short-term memory storage hubs—the hippocampus and frontal brain lobe—become well-stimulated during meditation. This can reduce memory loss and improve memory recall.
- Meditation makes the digestive system work better. The deep breathing helps to improve circulation and enrich blood oxygen, which sends extra help to all of the organs, including the stomach and intestines. So, if you have digestive problems, you’ll see immediate relief if you meditate. What’s more, meditation’s extra oxygen boost helps the immune system, heals the lungs and improves circulation.
- Meditation activates the happy part of the brain. By stimulating the “feel-good” prefrontal cortex, the mind gets a positive boost from meditation. You’ll feel happier. And many people believe that feeling happier can help slow the aging process.
- Meditation sharpens and focuses the mind. Meditation can make the senior years just as rewarding as other life phases. By improving brain function, we can experience better focus, more creativity and quicker wit. When we meditate, our concentration levels and attention spans improve.
- Meditation alleviates stress. Ever notice how someone who is going through a stressful time begins to look older? We know that stress ages the body. And we know that meditation reduces stress. Even a few minutes can clear our minds and restore a sense of calm and inner peace.
Sources: EOC Institute, Wall Street Journal Magazine