One of the easiest ways to think about a regular meditation practice is a way to train your mind, just like a muscle. The regular practice of focusing your attention can result in more permanent structural changes in the brain through what scientist’s refer to as “cortical remodeling,” or what we also might have heard of referred to as rewiring your brain.
The focus of our meditation can directly influence what we strengthen, but common benefits include increased attention, self-control, emotional regulation, and resilience to stress.
What the research says:
Recently the effects of meditation have begun to be studied extensively. Many recent studies suggest that a regular meditation practice can have a positive influence on:
- Executive function, including attention, working memory, and self-control
- Creativity and insightful problem-solving
- Brain neuroplasticity, including an increase in gray matter and cortical thickness
- Physical benefits, including improved sleep and immune function, reduction in pain, and decreased risk of cardiovascular disease
Who swears by it:
- In addition to the well-known meditation habits of Steve Jobs, regular meditation is a practice promoted by other highly successful business leaders, including Bill Gates and LinkedIn Executive Chairman Jeff Weiner.
- Companies like Google, Apple, Nike, Intel, Goldman Sachs, Target, General Mills, and more offer meditation training to their executives and employees.
- Top athletes, coaches, and sports teams like Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Michael Phelps, Phil Jackson, and former coach Pete Carroll of the Seattle Seahawks use meditation to promote peak performance.
Where to start:
If you’ve relatively new to meditation, a guided practice can be helpful to start. Here are two excellent places to start:
Jeff Warren 30-day Mindfulness for Beginners series on Calm app
Dan Harris and Joseph Goldstein 7-day Basics of Mindfulness Course on Ten Percent Happier app
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