The Healthy Benefits Of Mindful Meditation

Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be completely present, attentive of where we are and what we’re doing, but not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s happening around us.

Whenever you bring awareness to what you’re directly experiencing via your senses or your thoughts and emotions, you’re being mindful. While mindfulness is something we all naturally possess, it’s more readily accessible to us when we practice on a daily basis.

Mindfulness meditation can involve breathing practice, mental imagery, awareness of body and mind, and muscle and body relaxation.

The Benefit Of Mindful Meditation

• Improved Relationships. Individuals who exhibit greater mindfulness as a natural personality trait tend to enjoy greater satisfaction in relationships and deal with relationship stress more constructively. Practicing mindfulness can lower stress response during a conflict and is associated with better communication during such conflicts.
• Chronic Pain Reduction. Millions of people suffer from chronic pain, some following an accident, some as a result of post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD), others due to diagnoses with cancer or debilitating disease. Mindfulness has been found to result in significant improvements in pain, anxiety, well-being, and the ability to participate in daily activities.
• Stress Reduction. In this fast-paced society, it is easy to contribute to and exacerbates everyday stress levels. Learning how to control or minimize the effects of stress on body and mind is important in overall health and well-being. By focusing on the present moment, through the practice of mindfulness, the stress hormone Cortisol can be lowered.
• Maintaining A Healthy Weight. If you are one of the many that struggle with fluctuations in weight, it might be motivating to learn that mindfulness meditation has been shown to be a good strategy to support weight-loss goals. Practicing mindfulness may be an intervention for stress eating as well.
• Heart Health. It has been said that what is good for the mind also tends to be good for the heart. Mindful meditation can improve how your heart functions, lower blood pressure and regular practice of mindfulness can enhance your overall outlook on life and motivate you to maintain better heart-healthy behaviors.
• Better Sleep. Do you sometimes struggle to sleep because you lie awake thinking about work, family, health, money or relationships, and just can’t find an ‘off button’ for your mind? The goal of mindfulness is to take charge of your busy mind and move it from a state of worry into a more relaxed state thus improving sleep quality.
• Brain Matter. Another surprising finding of the mind-body practice is that it appears to increase gray matter in the brain. Grey matter is the area in the brain involved in memory and learning processes, regulation of emotion, self-referential processing and taking perspective.

The Takeaway

There are simple ways to ease into the practice of mindfulness. Consider practicing short bursts of mindfulness while gardening, listening to music or even cleaning the house. Focus on quieting that voice inside of you that has a constant commentary on what you’re doing or will be doing next and put the spotlight on the present moment.

It’s encouraging to know that something that is at your disposal can be taught and practiced can have an impact on our overall health not only mental but also physically. This alone is a perfect reason to give mindfulness a try.

At Leon Chiropractic, we believe it is the duty of a healthcare professional to maintain wellness, not just to attend to symptoms. Contact us today to see how we can assist you on your journey for health and wellness! 

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