More and more of the elderly in the West are giving meditation a try. This is nothing new in the East where the oldest generation has utilized meditation for centuries. Meditation, regardless of your spirituality, yields numerous benefits for those young and old. Many older meditation participants are reaping the benefits that meditation teaches for the trials of old age. The following examples are only a few of the health gains associated with meditation.
1. Lowers blood pressure. Meditation relieves your tension that cause high blood pressure. More scientifically speaking, the process of meditation influences the production of nitric oxide, which widens your blood vessels. Some physicians are suggesting meditation along with other lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise.
2. Relieves stress. Stress is a killer that can lead to a score of medical complications. As you get older the chance of stress triggering health conditions such as a heart attack or asthmatic episode is ever more likely. Daily meditation reduces your stress and teaches techniques to control stress in a tense situation.
3. Clear mindedness. One reason meditation is often associated with Eastern religion is because its clarity induced state is essential to those spiritual pursuits. Meditation allows for peacefulness and clear thought. Since the elderly are often more concerned about mortality, this allows for spiritual reflection regardless of your religious beliefs.
4. Focuses memory. Meditation can also assist with the onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. A study from the University of Pennsylvania suggests that daily meditation slows down the progression of Alzheimer’s. The study shows that participants who meditated just twelve minutes a day had increased blood flow in their brains. The participants also tested for improved memories.
5. Pain management. The idea is mind over matter, yet you don’t have to be a monk to manage pain. A study at the University School of Medicine indicates that pain discomfort is greatly reduced in test subject who were meditating. This sort of technique, if effective, would be invaluable to those with chronic pain.
6. Sleep. Proven to be effective with insomniacs, meditation can help with your sleep patterns. Try relaxing with mediation in the morning or afternoon but not before bed. While meditating relaxes you it can also wake you up if practiced to close to bedtime.
Meditation will take some effort and practice, yet the benefits for even the novice are great. Give meditation a try and see how it can work for you.
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