Relaxation station: Why everyone should be meditating
While many people are sceptical of the effectiveness of meditation, there are a growing number of people who swear that the time for quiet reflection has improved their health – both body and mind. Those who meditate tend to be more relaxed because they take the time to focus their mind on a regular basis, which has a quieting effect. There are many benefits to being a more relaxed person, so let’s look at a few now.
Immunity boost
A study at the Ohio State University found that practicing muscular relaxation daily reduced the risk of breast cancer recurrence in recovering patients. A separate study at the same university showed that a month of relaxation exercises boosted the natural killer cells in older people, which gave them a greater resistance to viruses and tumours.
Lowers blood pressure
By making the body less responsive to stress hormones, meditation was able to lower blood pressure, a study at Harvard Medical School. The meditation actually had a similar effect to blood pressure-lowering medication. A similar result was found by a British Medical Journal report on patients who were trained how to relax.
Anti-inflammation
Stress can lead to inflammation, which is a state linked to heart disease, asthma, arthritis, and some skin conditions. By switching off the stress response, relaxation can help prevent and treat this.