Does Meditation increase your brain size?

Some people used to think meditation was just for monks and spiritual individuals, but it has been gaining in popularity. According to Wikipedia meditation has been around since before the 1st century. That is incredible. I don't think any practice sticks around that long unless it’s pretty amazing. Studies on the benefits of meditation have been going on for years and the miraculous results rolling in leave skeptics unable to dispute the science. It is hard to argue with the science when meditation actually changes the grey matter in your brain. 

One study conducted at Harvard by Dr. Sarah Lazar found that meditating for just eight weeks increases your brain size in three crucial areas:

The Left Hippocampus where our ability to learn and retain information,

The Posterior Cingulate Cortex which gives us the ability to control our mind and focus

The Temporo-parietal Junction responsible for empathy and compassion

Meditation also reduces the cell value in the Amygdala, the area that is responsible for fear and anxiety. These are just a few of the many benefits of meditation and if you want to know more check out the short video below. 

In our current and ever-changing world, it can be hard to focus on our mental health.  Finding tools to help us reduce anxiety and achieve a sense of calm and inner peace is vital to our physical and emotional health and more people are turning to meditation to help with this. Meditation requires only a few minutes each day and can help us feel more relaxed, increase the ability to control our thoughts and stay in the present. In a short time, you can gain amazing long-term effects. It can help you find mental calm, cope with daily activities and refocus. The great thing about meditation is you can do it anywhere, anytime and it takes as little as 5 minutes a day. 

If we haven’t convinced you yet, here are a few more added bonuses: if suffering from pain, it helps with pain management, is anti aging and improves mood.

Okay, so how do we meditate?

Meditation takes time and lots of practice, but the good news is every time you do it, you gain benefits. I find the best way to learn is through guided meditation videos. You can find a lot on Youtube and I have included one below if you would like to get started. Namaste!