Last Updated on November 14, 2023 by
Meditation benefits your body, not just your mind. 5 ways meditation improves your physical health.
Meditation as a practice has been around for centuries, and has gained popularity in recent years as a way to manage stress and improve mental health. Meditation also has numerous physical health benefits that can sometimes be overlooked.
In this blog, Meditation Expert Soelae shows us five ways meditation can improve your physical health.
1. Meditation reduces stress in the body
Medical research estimates as much as 90% of illness and disease is stress related.*
Meditation is the antidote to stress. Meditation lowers levels of the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline in the body. If your body is in a constant state of stress, our stress hormones can have negative effects on your physical health by raising blood pressure and increasing the risk of heart disease. If there is any reason to learn how to meditate and reduce stress to protect your health, this would be it.
2. Meditation enhances cardiovascular health
Cardiovascular disease is now a leading cause of death in the world.*
It seems hearing that someone has just had a ‘stroke’, ‘heart attack’ or ‘heart issues’ has become all too frequent. A regular meditation practice can support your heart health in many ways; from changing how you cope with stress, lowering blood pressure and improving overall wellbeing. Research has shown ‘Transcendental meditation’ & ‘Vedic meditation’ reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke by 48%. That is impressive!*
3. Meditation improves sleep
A regular meditation practice has been shown to improve sleep quality and duration, which not only affects your mental health and ability to function during the day, but also has a positive impact on your physical health; including lowering blood pressure, reducing inflammation and improving immune function.
4. Meditation helps digestion
Meditation activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is the ‘rest and digest’ response (part of the autonomic nervous system). Meditation positively impacts your gut health by reducing inflammation and improving digestion and metabolism.
5. Meditation strengthens the immune system
When you are stressed and run down your immune system is usually the first to become vulnerable. As meditation reduces stress, this is an obvious link. However, research has also shown that meditation can have a positive impact on the immune system by reducing markers of inflammation and improving telomere activity which ultimately enhances the body’s ability to fight off infections and diseases.*
Meditation is a powerful tool that can improve your mental and physical health. By practicing meditation regularly, you can lower your stress levels, boost your immune system, reduce inflammation, improve your sleep, and help your digestion. So why not try and make it part of your weekly routine and see the benefits for yourself? Visit our meditation page for further information.
- https://nasdonline.org/1445/d001245/stress-management-for-the-health-of-it.html#:~:text=In%20addition%2C%20medical%20research%20estimates,been%20linked%20to%20stress%20factors.
- https://ourworldindata.org/causes-of-death#:~:text=are%20answering%20here.-,Summary,second%20biggest%20cause%20are%20cancers.
- https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/wellbeing/meditation-and-mindfulness
