Meditation is truly beneficial to us. Its benefits run from lessening our levels of depression and anxiety to contributing to better psychological health. These benefits are supported by clinical research conducted in recent years wherein advanced technologies such as EEG and fMRI were used to provide the scientific basis.
Meditation Preserves the Brain As We Age
A UCLA study confirmed that the brains of those who have been practicing meditation for a long time or are considered long-term meditators are better-preserved as compared to those who don't meditate as they age. It was seen in the grey matter volume in the brains of those who have been practicing meditation for 20 years. According to researchers, their grey matter volume is more significant than the non-meditators.
Meditation Can Help Regulate Emotions and Lessen Stress
A Harvard study led by Sara Lazar showed that a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program for eight weeks can decrease the volume of cells found in the amygdala. These cells are the ones responsible for stress, fear as well as anxiety, and the changes in the cell volume matched the reports of participants about the levels of the stress they experienced. So Mindfulness Meditation can literally change the structure of the brain: Eight weeks of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) was found to increase cortical thickness in the hippocampus, which governs learning and memory, and in certain areas of the brain that play roles in emotion regulation and self-referential processing.
Meditation Is For School Kids
Meditation is not just for adults; it is also helpful for kids. A school in San Francisco, California, began integrating a meditation program in one of its high-risk areas. The meditation program which is included in the students' daily schedules showed immediate positive effects. It helped decrease suspension rates and increase GPAs as well as attendance rates.
While further research is needed, early studies were able to confirm the emotional and cognitive benefits that schoolchildren can get from meditation.. As parents who have been practicing meditation and have seen its positive contributions in our daily lives, this is where we come in and guide our children as they build a habit of having meditation as part of their lives.