Meditation Helps Brain Structure
I have learned that people who pray and meditate actually lower stress and brain function. I have yet to make meditation a daily part of my life, but recent studies may change my routine.
In a study that will appear in the January 30 issue of Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, Participant-reported reductions in stress were correlated with decreased grey-matter density in the amygdala, which is known to play an important role in anxiety and stress.
Previous studies found structural differences between the brains of experienced mediation practitioners and individuals with no history of meditation, observing thickening of the cerebral cortex in areas associated with attention and emotional integration. But those investigations could not document that those differences were actually produced by meditation.
Meditation group participants reported spending an average of 27 minutes each day practicing mindfulness exercises, and their responses to a mindfulness questionnaire indicated significant improvements compared with pre-participation responses.
So lets start changing our brains by meditating. If anyone can share a personal experience where meditation has noticeably changed stress or anxiety please let me know.
