Benefits of meditating
Meditation has been a topic of discussion for quite some time, and the enthusiasm surrounding it begs the question: what's behind the hype? Personally delving into meditation in 2019 during bouts of panic attacks, I witnessed a profound transformation in my inner self.
Considered a form of mental training, meditation aids in regulating emotional states and attention spans. Its diverse forms include mantra meditation, mindfulness meditation, yoga, and more. Engaging in mindfulness training can induce structural changes in the brain over time. Long-term meditation practices have been linked to variations in grey matter distribution in the medulla oblongata (responsible for vital life functions such as breathing, swallowing, and digestion), the amygdala (integral to the fear system), the left superior gyrus (crucial for higher cognitive functions like working memory), and the inferior frontal gyrus (significant for language comprehension and production).
An intriguing aspect is the impact on the medulla oblongata's role in controlling breathing rate. Studies reveal that both breathing and heart rate decrease during meditation, resulting in enduring effects on respiratory control.
The amygdala, a key player in the fear system, exhibits reduced size with regular meditation, as evidenced by fMRI scans. This contributes to improved stress management, enhancing resilience in the face of challenging situations. Meditation fosters an increased resistance to stress, cultivating a sense of calm in uncertain circumstances.
Beyond these benefits, meditation positively influences attention span, working memory, and introspection. Improved attentional stability proves invaluable for sustained focus on specific tasks, combating the prevalent human tendency toward distraction during nearly half of waking hours. This underscores meditation's utility in anchoring awareness to the present moment.
Studies also highlight meditation's role in fostering compassionate behaviour, attributed to shifts in emotional valence and psychological reactions to emotions. While I've touched upon key effects of meditation, the journey to discovering the most fitting meditation style is a personal one, involving trial and error.