Meditation is much more than just relaxing. Surprisingly, all of the above benefits are available to everyone and are completely free. Meditation is a simple exercise that requires neither expensive equipment, nor chemicals, applications, books, or other products. Some recommendations on how to meditate will be given below so that you can act now. 

However, before turning to them, let's take a closer look at the main benefits of meditation.

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Benefits of meditation

1. Forms steady self-control.   

Meditation allows us to feel calmer while we are busy with it, but can this property remain in everyday life? 

Scientists scanned people's brains before and after participating in the 8-week course of meditation. During the study, participants looked at photos aimed at obtaining positive, negative and neutral emotional reactions. 

After a course of meditation, the activity of the emotional center of the brain was reduced while viewing all the pictures. 

This suggests that meditation allows you to maintain emotional control, even when you are not meditating. 

2. Develops compassion   

For a long time it was believed that one of the main advantages of meditation is the enhancement of virtuous qualities and compassion. Now it is a proven scientific fact. 

In one study, participants were in a waiting area with two actors, while the third actor entered on crutches, depicting that he was in great pain. The actors sitting next to the study participants ignored the disabled person, sending an unconscious signal to others not to interfere.   

Those who meditated, at least 50% of cases, sought to help a person in pain. One of the authors of the study, David Destenot, said: “The truly amazing aspect of research is the fact that meditation makes people ready to act virtuously - to help those who suffer, even in the context of a social norm of inaction.” 
  
3. Changes the structure of the brain  

Meditation is such a powerful technique that after 8 weeks changes the structure of the brain. 

To show these effects, scientists recorded an image of the brain of 16 people before and after the course of meditation. Compared to the control group, the density of gray matter in the brain area associated with learning and memory was increased. 

The lead author of the study, Britta Helzel, commented on the benefits of meditation:“By practicing meditation, we develop brain plasticity, which has a great impact on our lives. It can help increase wealth and quality of life. ” 

4. Reduces pain.  

One of the benefits of meditation is reducing pain, after regular practice.   

Scientists have confirmed a decrease in the pain threshold of sensitivity in meditators. Joshua Grant explained: “During the study of the frontal lobes of meditators, we found thickening in certain areas of the brain responsible for low sensitivity to pain.”   

5. Accelerates learning and memorization  
  
Would you like your brain to work faster?

Scientists have discovered significant benefits for beginners to meditate, already after 80 minutes of meditation for 4 days. Despite a very short period of practice, participants had an improvement in the functions of working memory, executive functioning and visual-spatial processing. 

The authors conclude: “Four days of meditation can increase the ability to hold attention. Previously it was believed that only long-term practice contributes to the acquisition of this advantage. ” Improvements were visible on measurements, and ranged from 15% to more than 50%.   

6. Develops creativity   

The practice of meditation can help in solving creative problems. The study participants were given a classic creative task: the maximum number of brick applications. Those participants who practice meditation gave more new and original ideas.   


7. Increases concentration of attention.   

Meditation helps to concentrate better and have sustained attention when performing any activity. 

17 people who did not practice meditation were sent to an 8-week meditation training course. The results showed that those who were trained could focus better on the tasks than the participants in the control group.  

8. Increases the ability to work in multitasking   

Meditation benefits in various aspects of cognition, as well as increases work productivity. 

Studies have shown that meditation practitioners perform better standard office tasks, such as answering calls, e-mails, etc., than those who did not meditate. 

Meditating managers do a better job, resulting in less stress.   

9. Reduces anxiety.
  
Meditation is often recommended for those who are anxious. 

A recent study found that four 20-minute meditation sessions were enough to reduce anxiety by up to 39%. 

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10. Helps fight depression
  
The central symptom of depression is depressing thoughts, which constantly rotate in a circle. Unfortunately, an oppressed person cannot simply be told to stop thinking depressing thoughts; it is meaningless. Treatment of depression is to partially control the person’s attention. 

Meditation is one of the ways that helps to focus on life at the moment, not on past regrets or future worries.