Why Meditate

Meditation has a unique way of grounding us. It pauses our thoughts, centres our being, and allows us to take stock of ourselves. Recent studies have shown that meditation is proven to reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety and physical pain. This is through the ways that meditation can lower your cortisol and adrenaline levels, improve your oxygenation and decrease your blood pressure. Indeed, recent studies have shown that those who meditate found the results as impactful in reducing symptoms as pain medication and anti-anxiety medication were. As your body begins to pause, you exit the flight-or-fight mode that so many of us get caught up in as we respond to our daily pressures of work, family, and so much more. Those who meditate have been proven to live longer, and healthier lives, and it's easy to see why.

When you are feeling centred, and in touch with your emotions, you are better equipped at responding to difficult situations that would usually inspire a hasty or knee-jerk reaction that could be toxic. Meditating allows you to know when your emotional capacity is becoming overwhelmed, and when you may be responding negatively to a triggering situation. The ability to take stock, relax and breathe, before deciding how you want to respond in such a situation, is an extremely valuable tool to have.

Meditation can also positively improve your performance at work. Indeed, meditation has been shown to increase your ability to concentrate, remember and retain new information. A Harvard University study showed that after 8 weeks of meditation, participants showed positive improvements in all of the above, as well as in their empathy, self-awareness and stress regulation. Clearly, meditation is a tool that each of us can use to unlock new aspects of our brain, and effectively change the ways in which we respond to daily stressors and stabilise our moods.