Mindful meditation has become a popular trend nowadays. It’s a mental state which you can achieve by focusing on your awareness on the present moment without judgment.
The concept of mindful meditation may leave you to think that it is something that only monks or spiritual persons would appreciate. But it’s a practice that can be extremely useful, especially if you’re stressed due to a monotonous, busy life.
The benefits of mindful meditation are acknowledged by various research. Both your physical; and mental health can be improved by practicing mindful meditation.
This article looks into some incredible mindful meditation benefits that you wish you would know before.
1. Mindful Meditation Can Reduce Anxiety and Depression.
Anxiety and depression is a common problem in fast-paced city life. Practicing mindful meditation regularly may help reduce stress and keep you calm.
In a 2013 study, 93 patients with generalized anxiety disorders (GAD) were assigned to either a mindful meditation-based stress reduction group or a control group.
Results show that those who were in the mindful meditation group experienced a more significant reduction in anxiety compared to the controlled group.
Recent research published in the Frontiers in Psychology found that mindful meditation is useful in decreasing the risk of developing clinical depression.
Besides, this type of meditation may help reduce depression as effectively as antidepressant medications.
2. It May Improve Your Sex Life.
You may wonder how mindful meditation can help you enjoy your desired sex life. But it can improve your sexual experience by bringing your thoughts back to the present moment.
Self-judgmental chatter may fill your mind during sex, preventing you from enjoying the moment. A 2018 research concludes that mindful meditation may help people with compulsive sexual behavior disorder.
A research was published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine. It found that mindful meditation-based therapies can be useful in treating sexual dysfunctions.
Practicing mindful meditation may help you become aroused quickly as you enjoy every moment with your partner by being in it.
3. Mindful Meditation Can Soothe Pain.
If you have pain in your neck, back, or other body parts, part of that pain can be in your head as well.
Meditation does not only heal your mind but also helps to reduce your physical pain.
A systematic review published in 2017 shows that mindful meditation may help cut chronic pain and improve the quality of life.
Besides, mindful meditation practice can be helpful for those who are seeking narcotic-free, self-facilitated therapy for pain.
4. It Makes You Smarter.
Regular meditation can remove the blockage from your mind, reduces distractions, and help you think clearly.
The study published in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience shows those who meditate regularly have a significant amount of gyrification or folding of the brain’s cortex than people who don’t meditate.
Another study conducted by Harvard researchers shows that an eight-week mindful meditation training may help reduce irrelevant or distracting sensations and improve your concentration and decision-making ability.
Just a 15-minutes meditation can help enhance your focus, making you think clearly.
5. Mindful Meditation Can Make You Compassionate.
If the constant rage and injustice around you make you angry, meditation can be the only way that may help you stay calm and empathetic to others.
Researchers at Northeastern University College conducted research, where they found that a brief meditation can make you 50% more compassionate compared to others.
Another 2008 study published in the journal PLoS One shows that practicing compassion meditation can improve your brain activity in regions linked with empathy. This type of meditation is mostly practiced by Tibetan leaders.
6. It Slows Down Neurodegenerative Diseases.
As you age, your brain starts suffering from cognitive decline, increasing your possibility of developing Alzheimer’s or dementia.
A 2016 research conducted by a group of scientists from Spain concludes that mindfulness meditation practice can help slow cognitive impairment in Alzheimer’s disease.
Another study published in Reviews in The Neurosciences supports this fact. It also shows that meditating can help reduce stress due to dementia.
How to Practice Mindful Meditation
To get the benefits of mindful meditation, you need to practice it regularly. Learning mindful meditation is quite easy, as some licensed practitioners can help you learn most efficiently.
Apart from that, you can also practice mindful meditation using books, YouTube videos, apps, etc.
Conclusion
The benefits of mindful meditation can be phenomenal if you can practice it regularly. Starting from your physical problem to mental disorders, meditation can heal almost anything.
Practicing mindful meditation isn’t difficult, but what seems to be the hardest part is to make it a daily habit. Based on the time of practice, the result may vary from person to person.
If you want to enjoy the tremendous benefits of mindful meditation, you need to commit to a daily practice, even if it’s for a few minutes. Depending on your experience, you can increase the time of your meditation.
