Meditation Provides Cognitive and Psychological Benefits Keeping Us Happy and Relaxed?

I started meditation for stress relief and discovered there were more benefits of practicing it. There are many other benefits which you may not know yet, so this article helps you learn 'how meditation practice offers cognitive and psychological benefits also leading us to a way which keeps us relaxed and happier.
I experienced that meditation, can reduce the negative energies in our system leading to happiness. The state of relaxation and happiness encouraged me to continue practicing meditation for many years.

New research and studies show that Meditation may affect in brain aging and mental fitness. "Research has found that meditation reduces the production of stress hormones like cortisol and increases the production of neurotransmitters that help us feel happy and relaxed."

Meditation may reduce stress-induced cortisol secretion and this could have neuroprotective effects potentially via elevating levels of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).

Meditation may also potentially have beneficial effects on lipid profiles and lower oxidative stress, both of which could in turn reduce the risk for cerebrovascular disease and age-related neurodegeneration. Further, meditation may potentially strengthen neuronal circuits and enhance cognitive reserve capacity.

At psychological level:  Meditation helps to encourage positive thinking and develop patience and understanding, helping those who meditate to come to terms with ‘what is’ rather than fighting endlessly for ‘what should be’ or often ‘what should have been’.

At physiological level:  Meditation slows breathing steadies the heart rate, lowers blood pressure and shifts activity away from the right hand side of our brains, concerned with speaking, making judgements and logical thinking, to the more intuitive, non verbal left hand side.

Mental benefits of meditation are:

• Relaxation
• Concentration
• Creativity & Mental Expansiveness
• Heightened Sense of Awareness
• Improves Learning Ability and Memory
• Lowers Incidents of Depression
• Decrease in Neurotic Tendencies
• Decrease in Irritability and Moodiness
• Increased Emotional Stability
• Vitality & Rejuvenation

Psychological benefits of stress reduction

• Decreased anxiety
• Better pain control
• More optimism, less depression as indicated by elevation of serotonin
• Greater self-awareness and self-actualisation
• Improved coping capabilities
• Improved well being and as an addition to psychotherapy
• Reduced reliance on drugs, prescribed/unprescribed, or alcohol
• Improved sleep
• Reduced aggression and criminal tendency
• Greater efficiency and output and reduced stress at work
• Improved response time and reflexes
• Improvement in perceptiveness of hearing and other senses
• Improved concentration and memory
• Facilitation of healthy change of undesired personality trait.

When you meditate, you allow mental activity to slow down in a natural way while your alertness is maintained and indeed enhanced. After meditating, you will feel mentally refreshed. You will feel calmer, more relaxed and have a greater sense of well-being. Benefits increase with regular practice.

Meditation leads to a feeling of being at ease with the world. Like many people who meditate, you may find that you have greater self-esteem, self-confidence and inner peace. You're able to concentrate more easily and and your ability to learn and remember improves. Meditation helps you to feel less anxious about issues that previously caused you stress, and many benefits arise out of a calm state of mind. You become a better listener and exhibit greater empathy, which in turn leads to closer and more fulfilling relationships. Calmness brings with it the capacity for more accurate judgement and enhances problem-solving skills. Being calm results in having greater patience and tolerance and gives you the composure to act in considered and constructive ways.

A large body of research has demonstrated that meditation produces comprehensive improvements in mental health, enhancing positive features and reducing various forms of psychological distress. In another statistical review of 42 independent research results, meditation was found to be effective in increasing self-actualization-an overall measure of positive mental health and personal development. Further analysis revealed that the technique is exceptionally effective in developing three independent components of this dimension: emotional maturity, a resilient sense of self, and a positive, integrated perspective on ourselves and the world (Journal of Social Behaviour and Personality)

Michael Anderson in his book “Mindfulness Meditation” (Australian Institute of Emotional Intelligence, Torquay, Victoria, 2004) describes meditation as an “opportunity to develop your mental skills”. Our increasing mental, emotional, and psychological skillfulness can then be applied in day to day living, not just in the moments of quiet meditation. Getting more control over our mental and emotional environments helps to clarify and simplify life,

Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, a team led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers report the results of their study, the first to document meditation-produced changes over time in the brain's grey matter.

"Although the practice of meditation is associated with a sense of peacefulness and physical relaxation, practitioners have long claimed that meditation also provides cognitive and psychological benefits that persist throughout the day," says Sara Lazar, PhD, of the MGH Psychiatric Neuroimaging Research Program, the study's senior author.

"This study demonstrates that changes in brain structure may underlie some of these reported improvements and that people are not just feeling better because they are spending time relaxing."

"It is fascinating to see the brain's plasticity and that, by practicing meditation, we can play an active role in changing the brain and can increase our well-being and quality of life." says Britta Hölzel, PhD, first author of the paper and a research fellow at MGH and Giessen University in Germany. "Other studies in different patient populations have shown that meditation can make significant improvements in a variety of symptoms, and we are now investigating the underlying mechanisms in the brain that facilitate this change."

Amishi Jha, PhD, a University of Miami neuroscientist who investigates mindfulness-training's effects on individuals in high-stress situations, says, "These results shed light on the mechanisms of action of mindfulness-based training. They demonstrate that the first-person experience of stress can not only be reduced with an 8-week mindfulness training program but that this experiential change corresponds with structural changes in the amydala, a finding that opens doors to many possibilities for further research on MBSR's potential to protect against stress-related disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder." Jha was not one of the study investigators.

More studies and useful links:

* The benefits of meditation
* Meditation vs. Medication: Your Path to Happiness?
 * Physical and mental benefits of meditation
First published on: 'knoji'

Effects of stress and depression on our lives

Do you think that you are suffering from some kind of stress or depression?

If so, then you should seriously think about the worst thing which can heppen to you and effect the people around you. I have been a depressed person and after realizing the negative effects on my life I chose meditation and during that time of stress, I started teaching. Both worked like miracle to me and today I feel like a new person who is getting most out of its life. Let's see what happens when you are depressed or face stress for long time?

Few days ago, switching from one channel to another at T.V, I came across Oprah’s repeate telecast show.

I love to watch this show whenever I get free time and topic is appealing to me.
Oprah was talking to a good looking guy, inquiring about intentions behind the murder of his wife. And mentally disturbed person, who was sure a worse case of depression, told Oprah that he brutally killed his wife because he was suffering from the feeling of loneliness, nobody was to talk or share with him. And if there was a situation that he could talk with someone, the situation would be different.
According to a report from ‘National Institute of Mental Health’ “Serious depression can destroy family life as well as the life of the ill person.

Symptoms of depression:

It is not necessary that everyone who is depressed or manic experiences every symptom. Some people experience a few symptoms, some many.

Severity of symptoms varies with individuals and also varies over time.DepressionPersistent sad, anxious, or "empty" moodFeelings of hopelessness, pessimismFeelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessnessLoss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities that were once enjoyed, including sexDecreased energy, fatigue, being "slowed down"Difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisionsInsomnia, early-morning awakening, or oversleepingAppetite and/or weight loss or overeating and weight gainThoughts of death or suicide; suicide attemptsRestlessness, irritabilityPersistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment, such as headaches, digestive disorders, and chronic painManiaAbnormal or excessive elationUnusual irritabilityDecreased need for sleepGrandiose notionsIncreased talkingRacing thoughtsIncreased sexual desireMarkedly increased energyPoor judgmentInappropriate social behavior.

Most people with a depressive illness do not seek treatment; although the great majority evens those whose depression is extremely severe can be helped. Thanks to years of fruitful research, there are now medications and psychosocial therapies such as cognitive/behavioral, "talk" or interpersonal that eases the pain of depression.Unfortunately, many people do not recognize that depression is a treatable illness.If you feel that you or someone you care about is one of the many undiagnosed depressed persons, these in formations may help you take the steps that may save your own or someone else's life.In one of my articles, I have mentioned benefits of meditation, and with proud I can say that I have cured my depression by keeping me busy and regular practice of meditation. Keeping me busy was not a solution, unless meditation was there.

Dear readers! Did you come across to some stories, where depression or stress was cured by any other way? Why don’t we share with each other our experiences, as our discussion may save many families and lives?

To get the full report of the’ National Institute of Mental Health’,about “Depression” click here

Tips to reduce your stress

It is difficult to get rid of stress but there are ways to lower it. Every person has its own personality thus manangement of stress may be different for each one, but these tips can really help you in managing your stress/depression. These tips and ideas look very simple and may be you would think that these can not product good results, but believe me that these has worked like miracal for me.

* Learn better ways to manage your time. You may get more done with less stress if you make a schedule. Think about which things are most important, and do those first.

* Find better ways to cope. Look at how you have been dealing with stress. Be honest about what works and what does not. Think about other things that might work better.

* Take good care of yourself. Get plenty of rest. Eat well. Do not smoke. Limit how much alcohol you drink.

* Try out new ways of thinking. When you find yourself starting to worry, try to stop the thoughts. Work on letting go of things you cannot change. Learn to say “no.”

* Ask for help. People who have a strong network of family and friends manage stress better.

* Exercise. Regular exercise is one of the best ways to manage stress. Walking is a great way to get started.

* Write. It can help to write about the things that are bothering you. (I found blogging a great help in reducing stress for me)

* Let your feelings out. Talk, laugh, cry, and express anger when you need to. (Introvert persons suffer most, so cry or laugh like normal humans)

* Do something you enjoy. A hobby can help you relax. Volunteer work or work that helps others can be a great stress reliever. (It is the best remedy)

* Learn ways to relax your body. This can include breathing exercises, muscle relaxation exercises, massage, aromatherapy, yoga, or relaxing exercises like tai chi and qi gong.

* Focus on the present. Try meditation, imagery exercises, or self-hypnosis. Listen to relaxing music. Try to look for the humor in life. Laughter really can be the best medicine. (Meditation is the first effective strategy, which helped me to cope with depression and stress. I am still a regular meditator for more than 3 years)

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