Meditation Can Renew Your Brain In Eight Weeks

Meditation can change our brain in eight weeks. It alters the areas related to memory, empathy and stress, as well as those responsible for our attention and emotional integration.

This is not the idea of ​​a group of fanatics or pseudoscience enthusiasts; behind this is a team of researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital, who have documented their findings. Published in the journal Psychiatric Research  , this study examined an eight-week meditation program in hopes of measuring the benefits meditation has on our emotions, behavior and thoughts.

The Changes Meditation Makes in Our Brains

While meditation is known to have many benefits, it hadn’t been proven that the changes happen so quickly, let alone that they were so profound.

Meditation has been found to lead to changes in areas of the brain related to memory, self-awareness, empathy and stress. In other words, this activity is usually associated with spirituality and improves our mental and physical health.

When a person meditates, he or she feels better not only because he/she is relaxed, but also because the structure of the brain skillfully adjusts connections. It doesn’t seem necessary to be a meditation expert to enjoy the benefits and feel an increase in the ability to process emotions and attention.

The study participants spent no more than 27 minutes a day doing meditation exercises. It took just eight weeks to see changes in the brain, such as an increase in gray matter density in the hippocampus (the area associated with memory) and in other areas associated with self-awareness, compassion, and introspection.

In addition, a decrease in the density of the amygdala, the structure responsible for emotional states such as stress or anxiety, was observed. In other words, thanks to the plasticity of our brains, we have the opportunity to be a better person every day, both for others and for ourselves.

Meditation, a habit that allows us to live in the present

If we meditate diligently, one of the first changes we will observe will be our ability to live in the present, in the here and now, setting aside disturbing thoughts about the past or future.

As we have said, it not only creates a state of relaxation, but also allows  us to have better control over ourselves.  Thanks to meditation, we will control our words and thoughts, as well as the dialogue we have with ourselves. We can better understand our emotions by not being clouded by negative thoughts and, as a result, acting more calmly.

This translates into emotional and social success, as taking control of ourselves will improve our relationships, our businesses and our daily lives.

Before we start meditating, we should be aware that we have to show a lot of respect for the subject, because despite the abundance of experts and advice on it, it is not always authentic. This is because this is a discipline that requires great intellectual effort and the assistance of a skilled instructor.

As we have emphasized, meditation dissolves and releases our thoughts, allowing us to focus on the present and overcome our stresses and worries. Our mind will always want to show that our consciousness is suppressed and that is why it can be difficult at first to deal with a tickle, itching on our skin or any other irritation.

In any case, if you have never tried meditation and you want to explore this world that brings so many benefits, you should spend time getting information and thinking about the form of meditation that is most suitable for you, your values, your beliefs and your needs. This will no doubt be the first step you need to take to turn this wonderful, beneficial practice into a habit.