It’s been trending among celebrities and CEOs for years.
Oprah Winfrey says meditation helped her build her $2.5 billion fortune, and singer Katy Perry would have given up on the music industry years ago without practicing mindfulness. I am suggesting that
It’s been dismissed as a fad for decades, but now there’s research suggesting that achieving a calm state of mind has measurable mental and physical benefits. increasing.
“Meditation rooms” are becoming more and more common in tech companies like Salesforce, long ago supplanting the “sleep when you die” mantra in Silicon Valley.
And it seems to be for good reason. Just this week, a study found that mindfulness meditation, breathing exercises and yoga were as effective as standard medications in lowering blood sugar levels in people with diabetes.
This follows last week’s study, which suggested that just five minutes of breathing exercise a day could lower blood pressure. Said it helps to make it flow easily.
Studies show that trendy mindfulness techniques can be as effective at relieving pain and even stimulating more intense orgasms as traditional pain relievers.
However, the jury is still out on how well they work.
Many studies rely on surveys and do not use the gold standard of scientific research: control groups. So the evidence from the control group is not perfect.
HERE DAILYMAIL.COM EXPERIENCES WHAT SCIENCE SAYS ABOUT MINDFULNESS
Meditation has been credited with the success of many celebrities and CEOs. And now, a growing body of scientific research suggests there are some measurable benefits to the practice. A study just last week also suggested that breathing for 20 minutes a day dilates blood vessels, lowering blood pressure and creating more space for blood to flow. Meditation has even been shown to lead to better orgasms, and some say it can increase levels of the sleep hormone melatonin, helping people close their eyes.
stress, anxiety, depression
Most Americans rely on meditation to deal with stress caused by work, family life, or financial problems.
A growing body of scientific research suggests that it actually helps people relax and dispel feelings of anger, irritability, or impatience.
a meta-analysis From 2014, we reviewed 47 trials of meditation involving 3,515 people. This practice was associated with “moderate evidence” of reduced stress, anxiety, and depression over eight weeks.
Many people practiced Transcendental Meditation. The participant repeated the mantra twice a day in his mind for 15-20 minutes.
Researchers theorize that it lowers levels of the hormone cortisol (nature’s built-in alarm system), which reduces inflammation in the body.
There are also suggestions that it may be possible to alter brain structures associated with the regulation of attention and emotions.
Psychologists add that sitting still with your eyes closed for long periods of time can also help you become more aware of negative thoughts and ways to combat them, as well as help relieve stress.
However, some experts warn that meditation doesn’t necessarily relieve these feelings and can actually backfire.
another meta-analysis As of 2020, it suggests that 1 in 12 people who start meditating actually experience the opposite effect – it leads to panic attacks, suicidal thoughts, and more anxiety.
Dr Miguel Farias, a psychologist at Coventry University in the UK who has conducted several studies on mindfulness, suggested that the intensity of practice and potentially incompetent teachers could have a negative impact. .
However, he also suggested that it could be because participants were previously unaware of their mental health status.
There’s also evidence that, in rare cases, meditation may be linked to schizophrenia (struggling to interpret reality and experiencing hallucinations), according to a 2019 study. Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine.
More than 40 million American adults are believed to suffer from stress and anxiety, according to the. National Alliance on Mental Illness.
lower blood pressure
There are some suggestions that mindfulness can help lower blood pressure.
Just last week, a study found that five minutes of daily breathing exercises worked after patients breathed through a resistance-generating device.
And even the American Heart Association warns that it should not be used in place of other treatments, but says it may have “beneficial effects.”
Scientists have suggested that exercise that dilates blood vessels and allows for more flow may be to blame.
Another 2012 paper involved 101 adults who meditated for 20 minutes a day for several months while their blood pressure was monitored.
After seven years, the meditation group had a 48% lower risk of dying from heart disease and stroke. Blood pressure is an important risk factor for these conditions.
However, some papers found “no significant difference” in blood pressure after meditation. American Journal of Hypertension Participants meditated for 45 minutes a day for two months.
another study A 2009 study of 298 college students with moderate blood pressure found that after three months of 40 minutes of daily meditation with their eyes closed, their blood pressure barely dropped.
Both papers point out that their results may have been compromised by the small sample sizes they used, or the participants did not have severe hypertension.
In a statement last year, the AHA said:
Nearly half of American adults, or more than 110 million people, have high blood pressure, according to the CDC.
improved orgasm
Research suggests that mindful meditation may be able to improve orgasm and sex life.
The most well known are paper Starting in 2018, we interviewed 450 women aged 17 to 70, including 198 participants who were already practicing meditation.
Researchers found that these women had higher scores for sexual arousal, lubrication, orgasm, and desire than women who did not use the method.
Experts suggest this may be because meditation reduces stress.
They also help raise dopamine and serotonin levels, which may reward chemicals in the brain, which may increase sexual desire and appetite.
another study Starting in 2014, 26 women were asked to do three 90-minute mindfulness sessions over two weeks. Their sexual arousal was scored before and after the session by a survey, and the results indicated that there was a “great benefit” in doing arousal.
There are also studies on men experiencing erectile dysfunction showing that this method can increase sexual enjoyment.
However, little research has been done in this area and more papers are needed.
better sleep
Mindfulness meditation may help people who have trouble staying calm at night sleep longer.
However, there is little evidence to suggest that it improves sleep quality in people who keep their eyes sufficiently closed.
Studies suggesting this link include a 2015 paper in which 49 people aged about 66 and having trouble sleeping meditated for up to 20 minutes a day or followed a 10-week “sleep hygiene” regimen. I was asked to attend a course. period.
Sleep hygiene is a Food and Drug Administration-approved treatment for sleep disorders in which participants are asked to attempt room modifications, such as using only blackout curtains and dim lighting, to improve their sleep.
The study found that both groups had improved sleep and reduced fatigue, but the improvement was significantly greater in the meditation group.
This may be because meditation reduces stress.
However, it may also be related to the fact that it increases levels of melatonin (a sleep chemical) in the brain, helping someone relax.
Among the studies looking at how sleep improved in non-insomniacs was a 2013 paper that looked at 336 women undergoing surgery for breast cancer.
Meditation only improved sleep for those who already had trouble closing their eyes, and no improvement was seen for anyone else.
Scientists suggest that mindfulness can reduce stress in the brain and improve sleep as it may increase relaxation in the user.
It can also reduce the level of inflammation. This, in turn, is associated with a more relaxed feeling.
As many as 50 to 70 million Americans are believed to struggle with the recommended 8-hour intake, exposing them to a variety of health risks, including heart disease, poor concentration, and even high blood pressure. It has been.
