Meditation Techniques and Neurological Effects
Perhaps your life has become too tough to
handle. You may be feeling run-down, stressed and anxious and cannot
wait to find some time to wind down and relax. Your mind could be
preoccupied, thinking about financial worries, deadlines, work, kids and
health issues. Consequently, you have found it impossible to switch
off.
One of the solutions you may have come
across is meditation, the benefits of which include reduced stress
levels and better sleep. However, the benefits do not just end there.
Tuning inwards can actually make lasting physical changes, and not just
in the way you feel. Meditation can literally change your brain. Let's
take a look:
An overview:
The brain on meditation
The brain is divided into various segments, each having its own role.
The frontal lobe (located at the front end of the brain), helps us plan,
reason, emote and be aware of ourselves. MRI scans have shown that
during meditation, the frontal lobe slows down and tunes off.
Meditation can also have an impact on the thalamus. This area of the
brain coordinates our senses and channels them from different parts of
the body to the brain. During meditation, this processing slows down.
The reticular formation is also affected during meditation. It is
responsible for keeping the brain alert, based on the stimuli it
receives.
7 ways meditation affects the brain
1. Meditation promotes new connections in the brain
Meditation stimulates the growth of new brain cells, promoting more gray
matter (the part of the brain whereby neurons connect to one another
and which is activated in the process of learning new skills). As we
age, we naturally begin to lose some of the mass of the grey matter.
However, meditation can help slow this process down.
2. Meditation improves your memory
Due to the effects that meditation has on gray matter, it has also been
found to affect the hippocampus, the area of the brain that focuses on
memory, helping us learn and internalize new skills and information.
Furthermore, research conducted by Osher Research Center and Martinos
Center for Biomedical Imaging, illustrated that people practicing
mindful meditation have the ability to adjust their brain waves, tuning
out distractions. Consequently, this increases productivity and boosts
memory.
3. Meditation helps control emotions
Meditation affects the pre-frontal cortex, the part of the brain
responsible for regulating emotions, by increasing the amount of gray
matter in this area. As a result, meditation enables us to deal better
with our emotions and feelings.
4. Meditation diminishes stress
Meditation affects the amygdala center - most commonly associated with
fear and stress. When we feel stressed, this part of the brain becomes
activated, triggering the fight or flight response. Meditation can
reduce the activity of the amygdala, enabling us to control our anxiety
and stress levels that come about for no apparent reason. Furthermore, a
study conducted to discover the benefits of meditation in 2012,
analyzed three groups to test which of the three can handle stress
better. The first group practiced mindful meditation; the second focused
on body relaxation training and the third were given no training
whatsoever. A multi-tasking, stress-inducing test portrayed that those
who meditated showed less stress than the group that didn't.
5. Meditation promotes a relaxed state of mind
In its aroused state, your brain releases alpha waves, keeping you alert
and hyped up. However, MRI scans have shown that during meditation,
your brain predominantly releases theta waves - associated with a
relaxed state of mind.
6. Meditation reduces anxiety
In an upsetting situation, the prefrontal cortex causes you to feel
anxious. This response can be controlled with regular meditation.
Meditating enables a lesser reaction in the prefrontal cortex, reducing
pangs of anxiety, enabling you to evaluate the situation in a rational
way.
7. Meditation increases resilience
Researchers at Wisconsin Madison University analyzed MRI images of
Tibetan monks and discovered that meditation and resilience have a
deep-rooted connection.
Picking the right meditation for you
Meditation can be practiced in a variety of ways. Methods vary in the
same way that people vary in their attitudes, character, and nature.
Therefore, picking the right method of meditation for you comes down to
fitting the right method of meditation to your nature, as opposed to
trying to fit your character to a certain technique. Doing so will only
cause you to feel frustrated after some time. However, when you find the
right meditation for you, you will feel a certain ease and comfort in
your practice, and you will flourish.
4 ways beginners can meditate
1. Breathing: Following the breath is a great way to start your
meditation practice, before moving on to more in-depth meditations.
Focusing on the breath brings about a restful and calm nature. Here are
three breathing techniques you could try.
2. Gazing: This method of meditation uses our sense of sight to silence
the mind. You can practice it anywhere, focusing your mind on something
specific. In the yoga tradition, trataka is often practiced. This form
of meditation focuses on gazing at a still candle flame in the dark.
Practicing this method of meditation enables your mind to become
focused.
3. Visualization: In this meditation, your eyes are closed. It requires
the use of your inner eyes or your mind's eye. While there are many
forms of visualization meditation, it often focuses on connecting with
and visualizing an object, such as your heart - serving as an object of
meditation. Alternatively, you may also visualize a calm space, such as a
beach, creating your surroundings in your mind's eye.
4. Chanting mantras: Mantras are believed to be a powerful sound or
vibration that can be used to enter a deep state of meditation.
Repeating mantras can help the mind become calm and more focused.