If you’re looking for an easy and inexpensive way to improve your everyday life, look no further than meditation. Meditation is the habitual process of training your mind to focus and redirect your thoughts. For centuries, people have been preaching the benefits of meditation. Keep reading to learn about some of the best advantages you’ll receive from frequent meditation.

Meditation can reduce stress.
Stress reduction is one of the most common reasons people meditate. It has been scientifically proven to decrease stress levels, especially in those with high levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Research has also found that meditation can alleviate stress-related conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, irritable bowel syndrome and fibromyalgia. 

Meditation can help your mental health.
Many types of meditation can promote a more positive self-image and an improved perspective on life. Studies have shown that meditation has the ability to decrease levels of depression in adults. It often reduces inflammatory chemicals called cytokines, which are released in response to stress and can cause feelings of depression.

Meditation can improve your attention span.
If you have trouble focusing at work or school, consider trying out focused-attention meditation. It’s been proven to increase the strength and endurance of your attention. Researchers have found that not only can mediation help with maintaining attention, but it can also help with recalling specific details such as assigned tasks.

Meditation can help you sleep.
Many people struggle with falling or staying asleep at night. If this sounds like you, meditation may be able to help. A study comparing two groups, one that meditated before bed and one that didn’t. Researchers were able to determine that participants who practiced meditation were able to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer than their non-meditating counterparts. Meditating before bed relaxes muscles and redirects thoughts that can keep you up at night.

Meditation can decrease blood pressure.
People who struggle with high blood pressure can benefit from frequent meditation. High blood pressure forces your heart to work overtime to pump blood, which can lead to its poor function. Many different kinds of meditation have been proven to improve blood pressure. It relaxes your nerve signals that coordinate your heart function, tension in your blood vessels and the “fight-or-flight” response that increases your body’s awareness of stressful circumstances.

Meditation can fight off memory loss.
Memories are the most precious things you carry with you. In order to keep them fresh, consider periodic meditation. There are forms of meditation specific to memory recall, such as Kirtan Kriya, which has shown improvement in people’s ability to perform memory-related tasks. Meditation can also aid older participants’ mental quickness, improving their memory long term.

There are so many benefits to be found through meditation. It can improve both your mental and physical health. Meditation is accessible to anyone and requires no financial commitment. Try out different forms to find which fits your preferences best, and be prepared to see an upgrade in your quality of life.