Meditating was once thought of as something only Yogis or the Hippy crowd practiced. We now know meditation has incredible positive effects. Recent studies by major universities such as Harvard, Yale, Stanford and even MIT have shown how beneficial meditation can be in all aspects of our lives.

Here is just a few reasons why you should meditate today:

1. It can actually increase your health and happiness. Studies have shown meditation can increase positive emotion and general life satisfaction as well as boosting the immune system and decreasing inflammation and pain.

2. No matter what age, it can literally help your brain grow. Meditation increases grey matter in areas of memory and thought, it increases Cortical thickness relating to introspection and attention and general brain volume specifically in areas for self-control and emotion regulation.

3. Even if you meditate by yourself rather than in a group, studies show it boosts social connections and increases empathy and compassion for others.

4. It increases wisdom and perspective. Ever have that feeling that you can’t see the forest because of the trees? Meditation can help you take a step back to gain insight, perspective and remove emotion to see things clearer.

5. It helps to beat the ‘blues’. Meditation is very powerful in helping one to cope with anxiety, stress and depression.

6. There is a cumulative effect, the more you do it the stronger and stronger it becomes.

7. It only takes a few minutes a day(yes, you do have the time!) Start with 5 minutes in the morning and 5 minutes at night. Within a week you will start to notice a difference, remember, like anything, the more you can put in the more you tend to get out.

8. If you can’t sit quietly for that long at first or at all, moving meditations can be just as beneficial. Leave your electronics and headphones behind if you can find a relatively quiet place to walk and just be with(within) yourself.

9. It helps to bring us to the present, to be in the moment and quiet the mind chatter.

10. It is one of the single most effective things we can do for ourselves today and everyday that can positively affect almost every aspect of our lives.

Blessings,

Mark and Laura