Three Incredible Benefits of Regular Meditation Practice according to Science

One of my teachers, Jack Kornfield, once pointed out that talking about what meditation does to us is like talking about “how exercise is good for you” without specifying whether you’re talking about hiking or weightlifting.

In the same way, there are many different types of meditation!

Its effects will vary depending on what works for us, which practice we choose and the nature of our practice.

I’ve been practising Vipassana Meditation for some years now, and I’m absolutely positive that it’s had a huge impact on the person I’ve become.

In a recent podcast episode called “How Meditation Works & Science-Based Effective Meditations”, the renowned Neuroscientist and Stanford University Professor Andrew Huberman talks about how, despite being rooted in science, the effects of Meditation are so incredible that they can sometimes feel like magic.

Let’s see together a few examples of the impact it can have on us.

Mood

Meditation is a great way to connect with the present moment, an activity that is strongly linked to happiness.

There’s a famous article on Science that shows how our thoughts and their connection to the present moment are better indicators of happiness than what we’re actually doing!

Some of us might relate to this: even if we are on a gorgeous island vacation, it won’t make us happy if we are thinking about the things we’ll have to deal with when we get back home.

Being fully engaged in what you’re doing is the strongest predictor of contentment and Meditation trains us to do exactly this.

Studies have shown that even just a four-day training can reduce fatigue and anxiety while boosting mindfulness.

Sleep

There’s a ton of research showing how meditation can improve your sleep, but it’s best to practice during the day rather than right before bed. Since meditation is a type of “focus training”, doing it right before bed might not be helpful for everyone.

In addition to improving sleep, regular meditation has been shown to reduce the amount of sleep needed and help people function better mentally and physically by managing cortisol levels, even though this finding is still controversial.

If you’re specifically interested in the sleep benefits of meditation, such as getting better at falling asleep or falling back asleep in the middle of the night, it’s worth mentioning that Yoga Nidra can be just as effective or even more effective than traditional meditation.

Cognitive Functions

According to a famous study cited in the Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Journal, Meditation training can physically modify our brain structure.

It enhances various cognitive processes, such as emotional regulation, executive control and attention, particularly sustained attention.

Thank you for reading until here.

Much love,
Maria