Fun fact for you: Meditation has been around for thousands of years. Once kept within the walls of monasteries and ashrams, it is quickly becoming more and more mainstream today. In fact, some of the most successful business owners and celebrities have adopted it as a daily practice: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Hugh Jackman, and Russell Simmons, to name a few.
There are more scientific studies being done on meditation than ever before, which is a good thing for practical types that won’t take on something new unless they can quantify its value.
But, for us meditation is a given. We’ll keep meditating while the science catches up!
Here are 5 reasons to jump on the bandwagon too.
1. It protects your body & changes your brain. Meditation can help to lower stress and increase grey matter in your noggin. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2015/05/26/harvard-neuroscientist-meditation-not-only-reduces-stress-it-literally-changes-your-brain/
2. It keeps your mind young. Long term meditators experience more clarity and better memory later in life. http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01551/full
3. It can help tame your “monkey mind.” You know those thoughts that run through your mind non-stop? You can calm and quiet them by practicing regularly. http://www.pnas.org/content/108/50/20254.full
4. It can help you overcome addictive behaviors like smoking. This study shows that mindfulness meditation helps people become more aware of their thoughts and triggers, allowing them to break prior patterns. http://www.pnas.org/content/110/34/13971.full
5. It’ll make you happier. One of the biggest benefits of meditation is that it helps reduce anxiety and stress; two states of mind that take away from joy and satisfaction. https://www.ted.com/talks/matthieu_ricard_on_the_habits_of_happiness?language=en
Feeling inspired to give this whole meditation thing a try? Here’s a great resource for getting started, an app called Headspace. Download it and get daily 10-minute guided meditations.
Or, if you prefer personalized support, you can sign up for one-on-one coaching with us. We’ll guide you to creating a sustainable meditation practice.