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'

Foods help us in stress management

Today's fast going life gives us stress and depression, which we are used to face for hours, days, months and years. But prolonged and unnecessary stress can harm us badly. For stress relief we are usually suggested to keep our life simple, adopt technique to stay tension free and take medicines in some severe cases.

Eating can be a form of stress relieves and at the same time it aids in boosting our immune system. Stress relieving food is a way we can use to promote healthy emotional functioning of our immune system. Certain foods eaten can increase our stress levels whereas some foods can aid in relieving stress.
Food can help us stay stress free and healthy. We know that low-fat, high-fiber, carbohydrate-rich meals with plenty of fruits and vegetables are good for our health as they soothe us without sapping our energy and give us the nutrients we need to boost our immune system.

Foods to Include in your diet:
High-fiber, carbohydrate-rich foods: Scientists believe carbohydrates cause the brain to produce more serotonin, a hormone that relaxes us. And lots of fiber is helpful in preventing late-night binging. Some examples of healthy comfort food include baked sweet potatoes, minestrone soup, or sautéed vegetables over rice.

Fruits and vegetables: The vitamins and minerals of fruits and vegetables can calm the nervous system, control blood sugar levels and help the body cope with stress.
Chronic stress can weaken our ability to fight disease. By upping our intake of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, we can boost our immune system. Acorn squash and carrots, for example, are great sources of the antioxidant beta-carotene. And citrus fruits provide plenty of vitamin C, another stress-busting antioxidant.
You may add these foods in daily diet plan for stress relief: 
banana, nuts, Quinoa (Keen Wah)-A super food from South America, Brown rice and pasta, ginger tea, porridge, hot water(this might seem like a strange stress relieving tool but it works), vegetables, and salad (Salad can be a great way of giving the stomach a rest from rich food)
                                                                                       
Foods to Avoid for stress management

High-fat foods: Fatty foods such as meat or cheese dishes and many baked goods thicken our blood which in turn makes us feel tired, even lethargic. This is clearly not a good way to reduce stress! Even just one high-fat meal can increase our risk of a heart attack.

Caffeine: Many of us deal with a stress-induced lack of sleep by turning to coffee, tea, and colas. Unfortunately, caffeine stays in our systems longer than many realize. Cutting back on caffeine can help with both sleeping problems and jitters.

Sugar: As a carbohydrate, sugar tends to calm us. The problem with sugar is that it's a simple carbohydrate so it enters and leaves the bloodstream rapidly, causing us to, in effect, "crash." On the other hand, complex carbohydrates?such as pasta, beans, and lentils, the starchy parts of foods?soothe without bringing us down.


Useful sites and links:
* 'Stress reducing receipes'

* 'Nutrition MD'

* How to Reduce, prevent, and Cope with Stress

* Stress Management for Effective Ways to Manage Stress

* 7 foods to relieve stress

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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Check Your Stress Level To Save Your Life

Challenging modern life demands more from us and thus results in high stress or depression levels. Major life changes are also main cause of stress either the stress is positive or nagative. Positive stress gives us strength and motivation to achieve goals. But we should carefully judge if our stress level is crossing the positive levels and showing the nagative signs of stress. It is clear that 'Stress is a medical condition and it can have a serious effect on your health.'

This article would help you learn about signs of negative stress which can help you understand how much it can harm you and what happens when you are stressed and at the bottom of the post you would be able to know your stress level using an interactive tool provided by MSN Health and fitness.

Short-term (acute) stress can keep you awake at night and make you feel irritable and edgy. High stress levels over a long period of time (chronic stress) can cause serious health problems such as high blood pressure, and it can weaken your immune system and make it difficult for your body to fight disease. Stress is linked to health conditions such as depression, heart disease, and asthma.

What happens when you are stressed?

When you are stressed, your body responds as though you are in danger. It makes hormones that speed up your heart, make you breathe faster, and give you a burst of energy. This is called the fight-or-flight stress response.

Some stress is normal and even useful. It can help if you need to work hard or react quickly. For example, it can help you win a race or finish an important job on time.

But if stress happens too often or lasts too long, it can have bad effects. It can be linked to headaches, an upset stomach, back pain, or trouble sleeping. It can weaken your immune system, making it harder to fight off disease. If you already have a health problem, stress may make it worse. It can make you moody, tense, or depressed. Your relationships may suffer, and you may not do well at work or school.

What can you do about stress?
The good news is that you can learn ways to manage stress. To get stress under control:

Find out what is causing stress in your life.
Look for ways to reduce the amount of stress in your life.
Learn healthy ways to relieve stress.
How do you figure out your stress level?
Sometimes it is clear where stress is coming from. You can count on stress during a major life change such as the death of a loved one, getting married, or having a baby. But other times it may not be so clear why you feel stressed.

It may help to keep a stress journal. Get a notebook and write down when something makes you feel stressed. Then write how you reacted and what you did to deal with the stress. Keeping a stress journal can help you find out what is causing your stress and how much stress you feel. Then you can take steps to reduce the stress or handle it better.

To find out how stressed you are right now, use the tool offered by MSN. This interactive tool gauges your stress level based on the number of life changes you have had recently. Your score shows a rough estimate of your current stress level and the likelihood that you will have health problems due to stress in the next 12 to 18 months.

MSN Health and fitness presents the interactive tool: What Is Your Stress Level?

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- Stress hazards and more

HD RadiHD Radio- --a digital version of FM & AM for music lovers l

Music can bring great health and stess relief benefits. Listening to music does wonders to alleviate stress. Music is a significant mood-changer and reliever of stress. Music was found to reduce the pain during dental procedures. Many experts suggest that it is the rhythm of the music or the beat that has the calming effect on us although we may not be very conscious about it.

But you would agree that if you want to get music therapy effect then you have to choose the right kind of music or programs which could provide you relief. I prefer tunig to FM radio at my car, (rather than playing cd player) because most of the FM radios provide interesting programs while playing latest album songs.


FM radio was introduced more than 50 years ago, but popularity of FM radio is increasing as it is easily in reach of mobile or cell phone users. As sound quality is very sharp, FM radios are becoming more popular.

To listen to digital AM and FM programming, you need an HD Radio receiver. HD Radio is a free broadcast service for music lovers.

HD Radio technology has enabled AM and FM radio stations to broadcast their programs digitally.

More features of the HD Radio!

- As it is free and all you have to do is get a new HD Radio receiver for your home or car
- It is not a satellite radio.
- Crystal-clear reception with no audio distortion
- FM stations now with CD-quality sound
- New kinds of programs you’ve never listened to before
- New experimental formats that no one has ever heard
- New channels to play more of what you like to hear
- More talk and music from the stations you’re plugged into
- Allows access to more new stations with no monthly cost

Check these links for more information:
- new country music stations

- Polk Audio I-sonic ES2

- Florida High Definition Radio stations