Meditation changes everything

"The mind is the forerunner of all things." -- The Dhammapada

This post is my ode to the ancient practice of meditation and mindfulness. Thank you for showing how deep the mind's conditioning and perceptual habits go. The mind does create your world. Much gratitude for changing everything. If you don't believe me, here's what science has to say:

Physical effects

• Dramatic reduction in levels of unease and stress
• Reduced blood pressure, heart rate and breath rate
• Increases immune function
• Reduces inflammation at cellular level
• Improves sleep and recovery

Effects on the Brain

• Slows down age related cognitive decline
• Increases neural plasticity
• Increases gray matter
• Increases cortical thickness in areas related to attention
• Increases volume in areas related to emotional regulation, positive emotions and self-control

Emotional effects

• Increases your ability to adapt to new situations
• Increases positive emotions
• Decreases worry, depression and anxiety
• Reduces rumination of past painful experiences
• Improves relationships and social intelligence
• Makes you more compassionate
• Reduces Loneliness
• Increases introspection and self-acceptance
• Better emotional regulation

Mental Illness and Addictions

• Effective in treating psychosis
• Promising for treating PTSD and trauma
• Reduces substance abuse, cravings and relapse

Productivity and Learning

• Increased focus and attention
• Increases goal oriented behavior
• Better memory
• Improves ability to multitask
• Improves individual intelligence and IQ scores.

Effects on Perception

• Dramatically alters consciousness, sense of self and passage of time.
• Meditators perceive the world more objectively and in higher detail
• Meditation reduces the effect of certain optical illusions
• Decreases both acute pain and is great for managing chronic pain