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There is growing evidence to show
that your mind and body are intricately connected, and that your mind
has a direct impact on your physical health. Brain imaging technology
suggests meditation alters your brain in a number of beneficial ways,
and studies show meditative practices even alter your genetic
expressionIndeed, thousands of genes have been identified that appear to be
directly influenced by your subjective mental state. Examples of genetic
effects resulting from meditative practices include the down-regulation
of genes associated with the pathway responsible for protein breakdown
and cellular stress response genes. Expression of certain heat shock
proteins is increased, and immune function is amped up through a variety
of genetic changes
Meditation Lowers Risk of Heart Disease
For example, a number of studies have demonstrated that a persistent negative state of mind is a risk factor for heart disease. Conversely, happiness, optimism, life satisfaction and other positive psychological states are associated with a lower risk of heart disease.5
While some people seem born with a sunnier disposition than others,
meditation has been shown to improve mood regulation and boost optimism.
Meditative practices have also been shown to lower your:
Heart rate
Blood pressure
Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level
Cortisol level
Such findings are consistent with a down-regulation of your
hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the sympathetic nervous
system, both of which are over-activated by stress. Stress is also a
well-known risk factor for heart disease, making meditation all the more
important.
Meditation More Effective Than Caffeine and Napping
In this Talks at Google segment, meditation expert Emily Fletcher18
explains the differences between two popular styles of meditation, and
how they affect your brain. She also discusses the similarities between
meditation and caffeine. Both have the effect of energizing you and
boosting your productivity, but meditation accomplishes this without any
adverse effects. As explained by Fletcher, caffeine is similar to the
chemical adenosine, which is produced by your brain throughout the day.
Adenosine makes you sleepy, and caffeine effectively blocks the
adenosine receptors in your brain, thereby disallowing your brain from
recognizing how tired it is. Caffeine also stimulates neural activity in
your brain that triggers the release adrenaline, a stress chemical
involved in the fight-or-flight state. Remaining in a chronic state of
fight-or-flight (whether caused by caffeine or actual stress) can lead
to any number of stress-related disorders.
Meditation, on the other hand, energizes you and makes you more
productive without triggering an adrenaline rush. The reason for this is
because meditation de-excites your nervous system rather than exciting
it further. This makes it more orderly, thereby making it easier for
your system to release pent-up stress. It also makes you more
productive.
She notes that many are now starting to recognize meditation as a
powerful productivity tool. Contrary to popular belief, taking the time
to meditate can actually help you gain more time through boosted
productivity than what you put into it.19
According to Fletcher, meditating for just 20 minutes equates to taking
a 1.5-hour nap, and provides your body with rest that is two to five
times deeper than sleep. This is why even a short period of meditation
each day can help you feel more refreshed and awake.
Meditation More Beneficial Than Vacation, Study Shows
According to Dr. Monique Tello, contributing editor at Harvard Health
Publishing, having a regular meditation practice is also more
beneficial than taking regular vacations.
That’s the conclusion reached by a study comparing the mental and
physical health outcomes of a one-week yoga retreat with daily
meditation versus a regular vacation. A total of 91 non-pregnant healthy
women without history of hormone or antidepressant use were enrolled.
The volunteers were divided into three groups of about 30 people per
group:
Mindfulness intervention for experienced meditators, consisting of
12 hours of meditation, nine hours of yoga, plus other “self-reflective
exercises” throughout the week
Mindfulness intervention for novices who had never meditated before (same schedule as the first group)
Regular vacation, which consisted of listening to health lectures followed by fun outdoor activities throughout the week
After one week, all three groups scored statistically lower for
stress and depression, suggesting both meditation and regular vacation
helped boost mood and ease stress. The really interesting part of this
study emerged during follow-up, 10 months later. As reported by Tello
“[T]he regular meditators still showed significant improvements
on these scores, the novice meditators even more so. However, the
vacationers were back to baseline. The researchers had ensured that all
three groups were equal in average age, education level, employment
status, and body mass index. This finding is in keeping with prior
research showing that vacation has beneficial but very temporary
effects, and that mindfulness therapies have sustained beneficial
effects …
All three groups showed significant positive changes in the
markers of immune function. However, regular meditators also showed
additional, more interesting changes. I got in touch with study author
Eric Schadt, Ph.D., director of the Icahn Institute at Mount Sinai, who
offered this interpretation of the data:
‘Regular meditators showed both the same types of ‘improvements’
at the molecular level as the others, but on top of that exhibited
changes that were also associated with some aging/disease processes that
also correlated with biomarkers of aging in a favorable direction. I
think there is some suggestion there of improved healthy aging …’”
ISN’T IT TIME YOU FELT ZEN IN THIS BUSY WORLD
IT CAN HAPPEN WITH THE POWER OF MEDITATION
Hi, I’m Deanna Lyn
After seeing how small changes made such a big difference in my own
health and happienss I knew I wanted a career helping others live
healthier and happier lives.
LEARN HOW TO MEDITATE AND CHANGE YOUR LIFE WITH MY SIMPLE GUIDE.
When you're under stress, you may find it harder to eat healthy.
Also, during times of particularly high stress, you may eat in an
attempt to fulfill emotional needs — sometimes called stress eating or
emotional eating. And you may be especially likely to eat high-calorie
foods during times of stress, even when you're not hungry.
To prevent weight gain during stress and reduce the risk of obesity,
get a handle on your stress. When you feel less stressed and more in
control of your life, you may find it easier to stick to healthy eating
and exercise habits.
Try these stress management techniques to combat stress-related weight gain:
Recognize the warning signs of stress, such as anxiety, irritability and muscle tension.
Before eating, ask yourself why you're eating — are you truly hungry or do you feel stressed or anxious?
If you're tempted to eat when you're not hungry, find a distraction.
Don't skip meals, especially breakfast. If you're in a hurry, grab a piece of fruit on the way out the door.
Eat a healthy diet, such as whole grains and a variety of fruits and vegetables. Aim to include most food groups in your meals.
Identify comfort foods and keep them out of your home or office.
Keep a record of your behavior and eating habits so that you can
look for patterns and connections — and then figure out how to overcome
them.
Learn problem-solving skills so that you can anticipate challenges and cope with setbacks.
Practice relaxation skills, such as yoga, stretching, massage, deep breathing or meditation.
Engage in regular physical activity or exercise.
Get adequate sleep.
Get encouragement from supportive friends and family.
If you try stress management techniques on your own but they don't
seem to be working, consider seeking professional help through
psychotherapy or counseling.
FIND YOUR ZEN A guild to inter peace
ISN’T IT TIME YOU FELT ZEN IN THIS BUSY WORLD
IT CAN HAPPEN WITH THE POWER OF MEDITATION
Hi, I’m Deanna Lyn
After seeing how small changes made such a big difference in my own health and happienss I knew I wanted a career helping others live healthier and happier lives.
LEARN HOW TO MEDITATE AND CHANGE YOUR LIFE WITH MY SIMPLE GUIDE.
BeFit-Mom, founded by perinatal exercise specialist and author Helene Byrne, is dedicated to helping women stay fit and healthy during and after their pregnancies, and to inspiring and motivating women to lead their entire families to better health and wellness.
About Helene Byrne
Helene has over twenty years of experience in the fitness industry. A former professional dancer, she holds a BFA from the Boston Conservatory and is an ACE (American Council on Exercise) certified Personal Trainer. Her fitness experience runs the gamut from group fitness and private training, to Pilates, yoga, injury rehabilitation, and special populations.
The birth of her son inspired her to specialize in prenatal and postpartum fitness and exercise. Drawing on her knowledge of Pilates, dance, and classic fitness techniques, she created a unique system of exercise that quickly, safely, and effectively restores the body after pregnancy and childbirth. Both her book, “Exercise After Pregnancy: How to Look and Feel Your Best” (Celestial Arts, 2001) and DVD, “Bounce Back Fast!: Post Natal Core Conditioning” (BeFit-Mom, 2005) have received wide acclaim in the fitness and birthing communities, and with women everywhere.
Through her workshops, she has had the pleasure of helping hundreds of women recondition their bodies after childbirth and live active, fit, healthy lifestyles.
Helene speaks regularly at fitness conventions, and has appeared on many radio and TV programs championing the numerous and outstanding benefits of prenatal and postpartum fitness and exercise.
Pregnancy is a time of emotional and physical transformation and challenges. While for most women it’s a time joy, hope, and excitement, it can also mean stress, uncertainty, and worry, especially about weight gain.
Questions such as, “Will I gain too much weight?” or “Will I be able to lose the baby weight?” concern most pregnant woman. After all, weight gain is a natural and healthy part of pregnancy. Unfortunately, over-gaining is becoming increasingly commonplace, and may have long-term health implications for both mother and child. Complicating matters, over two thirds of women in the US now enter their childbearing years in the overweight or obese category. The myth that women should “eat for two” lingers on, despite clear evidence to the contrary. Learn more Here
