Is meditation a method of coping with stress in a big city or something more? Scientists have proven that this is not only a great way to relieve anxiety - the practice also slows down the aging of the body, helps to develop the flexibility of the mind and body.
What to do to stay healthy and full of energy at any age, says Anastasia Dmitrieva, author of the About Meditation blog, a leading teacher of international technology Om-Chanting and Simply Meditation from Hale Clinic London.
The benefits of meditation
People who regularly practice meditation are, on average, happier and more satisfied with their lives. This has been shown by numerous studies. And positive emotions are the key to a longer and healthier life. A team of scientists at the Center for Brain Research at the University of California conducted an experiment in which participants retreated in a quiet place and meditated for several hours a day for three months. Experts have found an increase in telomerase activity (an enzyme of "youth") in the blood of study participants. Their mood also improved significantly.
The age of happiness
Can old age be happy, fulfilling and joyful? Having asked this question, Vladimir Yakovlev, journalist, publisher, media manager, author of the book "The Age of Happiness", did not even imagine how unexpected the answers would be. It turned out that he and his heroes have good reasons to treat old age with great optimism.
Gene Gouhin, Ph. D. and director of the Center for the Study of Aging, Health and Human Nature at the George Washington University Medical Center, noted that the ability to use more so-called cognitive reserves (craving for cognition) increases the ability to resolve difficult issues in middle age. The specialist also believes that this ability gives people a certain skill to organize conflicting thoughts and emotions.
“This kind of neural integration helps us to more easily 'reconcile' our thoughts with our feelings,” says Goukhin. And boldly declares that talking about a midlife crisis is just a myth.
Slowing down the aging process of the brain
Neuroscientists at the University of California, led by Eileen Luders, compared the brains of 50 people who have practiced meditation for years and 50 others who have never done it. The age of the participants in the experiment ranged from 24 to 77 years. The number of men and women was approximately equal. After examining the data from these two groups using MRI, the researchers found that with age, the amount of gray matter decreases in all subjects. However, for those who actively practiced meditation, it decreased more slowly than for those who did not practice it.
The brains of 50-year-old participants who meditated regularly appeared on MRI scans approximately 7 years younger. Interestingly, the brains of women looked, on average, 3 years younger than that of men, regardless of meditation practice.
What is the reason for this effect of meditation? During practice, the human brain takes a break from processing an endless stream of data. Even 10 minutes of "respite" is enough to reduce the activity of the information processing process. This helps the brain to relax, and the person - to concentrate faster on important tasks.
“We expected this practice to have little effect on some areas of the brain. But they found that meditation has a positive effect on the whole brain,”says one of the authors of another similar study, Dr. Florian Kurt. As German neuroscientist Christian Gazer explains, meditation stimulates the growth of new brain cells and the connections between them, slowing down the aging process.
Be happy
Depression is wreaking havoc on modern society. According to WHO estimates, by 2020, depression will become the second most important medical problem worldwide. In ten years, depression will cause more damage to humanity than heart disease, arthritis, and even many types of cancer. Regular meditation helps to reduce anxiety and irritability, it also improves memory and reaction speed, and increases mental and physical endurance.
Inner Beauty Meditation
Close your eyes and sit up straight, if possible, without leaning on the back of a chair.
Take a few breaths, inhale and exhale slowly and deeply, without delay.
Inhale and exhale, feel the beauty in every part of your being. It is present in every cell of yours. Be aware of it.
Let go of tension, let go of all thoughts in your mind, just watch them come out of nowhere and then dissolve.
Now concentrate your attention in the area of the heart, do not listen to external sounds, but listen to the music within you, to the sounds of inhalation and exhalation, to the internal sound - the cosmic sound "Om". Then slowly open your eyes.
Here is one of the techniques that allows you to calm the mind and feel the inner beauty of the heart.
Of course, you won't get results by trying it just once. You need to practice regularly. So if you want outer beauty, focus more on what's inside. You have a great treasure - each of us is unique. Feel the beauty in every moment of your life.
