Insurance Blog
Did you know that we can have as many as 50,000 thoughts a day? That’s an awful lot, so it’s no surprise that we can find it hard to de-clutter our overactive minds. This is where meditation advantages come in. Practiced by Buddhist monks for millennia, meditation has many benefits for the brain. It trains the mind to develop concentration, clarity, emotional positivity and inner calm.
Meditation and its benefits are well known in India too. In fact, Karnataka plans to have daily meditation sessions for its school and college students soon because of its multiple health benefits.
The ancient practice is seeing a revival in India and widespread adoption globally. Here’s how it can make you smarter, happier and healthier.
It’s easy to get distracted in today’s hyper-connected world and it can be challenging to block out background noise. Meditation can help. Studies show it improves attention by teaching us how to focus and be aware of our thoughts. It also physically increases the grey matter in our brain, specifically the areas controlling emotion and response. The result? Sharper focus, memory and learning.
Stress can cause so much damage to our physical and mental health, triggering anxiety, raised blood pressure and other associated conditions. Thankfully, the relaxation response triggered by meditation can help. For example, it has been shown to reduce muscular tension, decrease blood pressure and improve heart rate, breathing and even brain waves.
Meditation benefits mental health in many ways. MRI scans of the brain show that the ‘fight or flight’ region involved in how we respond to stress shrinks after two months of meditation. At the same time, the pre-frontal cortex that’s thought to be linked to social behaviour and decision-making grows, suggesting meditation can help our mind disconnect from its centre of stress.
According to a study, around 33% of adults in India suffer from insomnia. Sleep disorders are often correlated with stress and an overactive mind. Meditation helps calm the mind by enabling us to focus on the present, untangle our thoughts and gain greater clarity and control over our reactions and responses. This, in turn, helps us to sleep more soundly.
Studies show a link between meditation and brain aging, suggesting that an enhancement in mental focus and flexibility from meditation can help to protect the mind from cognitive decline. Other lifestyle factors, such as diet, exercise and education are important but like any muscle, the brain needs regular exercise!
Thankfully, learning how to meditate has never been easier. If you’re keen to learn, look at apps such as Headspace, which is a great place to start.
Meditation can be a fantastic tool to help you cope with stress. There are many advantages to meditation. However, sometimes, mental health issues require a bit more focus and medical intervention. Making use of therapy and other mental health care facilities can speed up your recovery process. With Future Generali Health Absolute health insurance, you can protect yourself and up to 15 members of your family with cover for both physical and mental wellness. This will ensure you or your family members get the care you deserve without worrying about large bills and medical costs.
