“Troubled by high blood pressure? You may want to consider the growing body of evidence that proves meditation—sitting quietly with your thoughts, breath, or prayers—can help you ward off not only high blood pressure, anxiety, and weight gain, but also depression, diabetes, insomnia, and a slew of other ailments.
“Meditation helps heal the whole body,” says Dr. Carolyn King. “Even better, it can have a profound effect on your spirit and your mind.”
Why join the 10 percent of Americans who have tried meditation?
It benefits your brain. Creativity, memory and productivity improve.
It’s a boon for your body. Meditation can slow aging, reduce hardening of the arteries, improve immune function, and much more.
It can improve your social interactions. The type of brain activity involved in meditation is associated with greater levels of happiness, more flexibility in outlook, and a decreased tendency to get angry or flustered.
There are various approaches to meditation. No matter what style you practice, those who meditate say you can expect positive effects on your life and other people’s, too.
This message was adapted from “The Miracle of Meditation” written by Molly M. Ginty that first appeared in the September 2010 issue of Lutheran Woman Today (now Gather) magazine.