Well it appears there are many more benefits to meditation than just calming the mind as we will explore below but the question remains………

Can meditation actually change the brain?

Meditation has been scientifically proven to have profound effects on the brain and literally changes the brain through neuroplasticity by increasing the amount of gray matter in brain regions such as the insula (areas of the brain which control your organs and in turn your intuition), the hippocampus (the brain regions involved in learning and memory) and the prefrontal cortex the area involved in regulating emotions and the ability to put things into perspective).

Incorporating a meditation practice into our daily lives can increase our brain volume by increasing our gray matter. By altering the neuroplasticity of your brain you are able to build stronger neural pathways and connections in areas of the brain you wish to enhance and break certain neural networks that are associated with negativity. This in turn will help to keep our brains active, avoid shrinkage as we age thus improving memory, our mood and emotional wellbeing by enabling us to regulate our emotions, have a better grasp on realistic perspectives of situations, and help us to develop more empathy and compassion for others.

In effect we can regenerate our brains by meditating and stay in homeostasis with the use of this wonderful tool that we can draw on at any time of the day whenever we need it.

Meditation for teenagers with anxiety

Anxiety and depression are growing concerns in many teenagers today and as a result of the knock on effect of these issues many parents unfortunately suffer from the backlash of the behaviour of their suffering teenager. As a parent, when you see your child suffering with something that to you has no logic or reason as such behind it, you may feel helpless and look at things you may have done incorrectly or things you could have done better however it is important to understand that in these situations, you are dealing with a child that lacks the ability to reason yet with them perhaps looking at situations in a distorted light, all purely through the structural changes they are making to their brain. Continual negative thinking, just as continual positive thinking can actually alter the structure of your brain and cause physical changes in your brain cells which when discussing the negative thinking creates this out of control spiral thinking. Looking at the areas of the brain that are affected by meditation it is clear how this practice can benefit both parent and child and help train the brain to be resilient and to bounce back a lot easier.

Speaking from someone who has sadly experienced loved ones suffering from anxiety I can see how each area above follows suit where the brain is concerned. If mediation can benefit all the brain regions above associated with emotional wellbeing, fear, anxiety, perspectives, self referencing etc then surely continual waves of negative thoughts and emotions can also have a detrimental impact on these areas.

This appears to be true with one particular area in the brain scientifically studied ‘the amygdala’. This is the area of the brain associated with fear, anxiety and stress and has been found to be enlarged in people with anxiety and depression. A larger amygdala has been shown to have stronger connections with other areas of the brain responsible for perception and emotional regulation. This is more than likely the reason that children with anxiety or depression have a distorted impression of themselves and the world. Sadly, their perspectives have drifted quite far from reality which in turn allows the negative spiral to continue. As stated above, by having a daily mediation practice you are able to control the size of the amygdala and physically decrease the cell volume in this area of the brain, thus making you feel happier, in more control of your emotions and have a better grasp on reality.

The difficulty many face is getting your turbulent teenager to understand the effects their thought processes are physically having on their brain and to get them to sit with their own thoughts for a little time and to notice them but not to focus on them, just to allow them to pass. Teaching them how to allow their thoughts to come and go without focusing on the thought itself will hopefully enable them to feel more in control of their emotional wellbeing.

Mindful Meditation practiced in various ways

Mindful meditation can be performed in a number of ways other than simply sitting cross legged with your eyes closed and focusing on your breath. Sitting down and focusing your attention on some form of art such as drawing, painting or sculpting can be just as effective and is still a form of mediation. By focusing your attention on your art you are mindfully living in the moment, focusing on the present and not giving your attention to other thoughts that may usually dominate your mind. This is a great way for a child to meditate, as they are able to minimise random negative thoughts without getting bored as they may do in full seated meditation.

Playing a musical instrument is another fantastic way to meditate and focus on the now. Many creative tasks such as art, dance and music take concentration on the task at hand and allows you to tap into your creativity, your happy place, which all helps to strengthen the positive pathways in your brain.

Playing sport or practicing yoga is another great way to practice a moving meditation for those who do not like to stay still for periods of time. Or simply going for a walk in the woods or in nature and paying attention to all the sounds, smells, and the finer details and beauty of nature. By focusing your attention on things you may not normally notice, such as a bird singing, the leaves rustling in the trees or the sunlight bouncing off the leaves, you are staying in the present moment and helping to build new connections and pathways in your brain. Having awareness and the ability to be grateful for the beauty of nature will help to create more positive connections in your brain and wire the new positive thinking nerve cells together, which ultimately over time, release the negative thinking nerve cells.

Overall, any type of mediation practiced as often as possible over an eight week period, is said to physically assist with increasing the immune function, decreasing pain and inflammation, increase gray matter, increase cortical thickness in the brain, and improve your attention, focus and memory. On the mental and emotional side mediation can help increase positive emotions, decrease depression and anxiety and reduce stress creating a sense of inner calm and an ability to respond to whatever life throws at you in a more peaceful way. To be able to be the observer rather than a participant and allow any negative thoughts to pass by without much effect on your overall wellbeing.

So why aren’t we all meditating daily? Why isn’t this a skill that is taught to our children in schools as an everyday practice? These are questions I continuously ask myself as the results above speak volumes as to how this wonderful practice could benefit our youth now and continue to do so as they grow into adulthood.

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Having seen an increase in anxiety and stress in the past few years with those I’ve encountered along the way, friends and family members, it has become clear to me that for many their pace of life appears to them to be speeding up and they feel that they are losing control. We live in world where pressure arises from various areas, whether in work, at home, school, relationships, families or simply the pressure we put on ourselves to achieve, succeed or live up to. We seem to spend more time fulfilling deadlines and demands and less time investing in ourselves, our own mental health and physical wellbeing.

By not investing time in ourselves to de-stress and replenish our stress cup keeps getting more and more full until we reach the point of eruption. And only at this breaking point are many seeking help to handle their stress levels, when the volcano has already erupted and lava is running down the hill. Some have no idea how stressed they are as they are so used to living in that stressful arena that it becomes the norm and only when their nervous system goes into overdrive and short-circuits manifesting physical issues, high blood pressure, heart palpitations etc do they realise the need to take a breather and focus on creating a more harmonious lifestyle for themselves.

We only have to take note of the safety presentation on any aeroplane to see. ‘Put your mask on before you try to help anyone else’. Which makes perfect sense when you hear it on a plane as how can you help others if you do not have enough reserves yourself? But in everyday life some find it difficult to take care of their own needs first.

We are seeing a rise in stress related illnesses whether in the workplace or school environment because many simply don’t know how to relieve their stress other than opting for quick fixes available to them through drink, drugs or simply just keeping on going on that treadmill.

Yoga doesn’t have all the answers, it won’t get your paper finished by the short deadline that you have been given but it may help you to start looking at things a little differently. It may teach you the tools to build your resilience so that situations do not affect you as much by helping you detach from stressful situations enough for you to see the event as a spectator rather than a participant. And when you do, this really does alter your way of experiencing the situation.

What is Yoga and why do teachers always speak about the breath?

Yoga is much more than just throwing a few shapes on the mat, it’s a way of life. With pranayama you learn to breathe, I mean really breathe. When we are stressed our breath becomes shallower, as our breath and state of mind are linked. When we are in a stressful situation our brain sends signals through our nervous system to get our body in preparation to either fight, freeze or leg it as fast as we can. Therefore if we can put our body into a fight or flight mode through stress then surely we can reverse the process and bring ourselves back into a calmer state by lengthening and deepening our breath.

By learning to breathe deeply into our belly we tap into the parasympathetic nerve receptors in the lower lobes of our lungs which helps to put us into our rest and digest state rather than our fight or flight. Breath on its own can really help us to alter our state of mind and yoga guides us through these relaxation techniques.

The meaning of Yoga?

Yoga was discovered over 5000 years ago in India in the ancient scripts the ‘Vedas’ which are written in Sanskrit. The word yoga in Sanskrit means to ‘yoke’ or ‘unite’. There are many different views out there on what this actually means. Some feel it means a union of the body and mind, others feel it is more connecting our individual consciousness to our spiritual self. Whatever it actually means, it’s about connections and after all everything is energetically connected. There is a connection between everything that if visible would look like a never ending circuit board of energetic wires leading from one thing to another. The practice of yoga teaches us to connect our body, breath and spirit through meditation, movement through asanas and breath work. It teaches us to be comfortable being uncomfortable helping to build resilience and helping us grow by stepping out of our comfort zone. It teaches us to balance our body and our mind by not reacting and starting to just observe more and it helps us to be mindful living in the here and now with gratitude rather than in the past or future with regret or fear.

Is Meditation beneficial to our wellbeing?

Can mediation help with stress you say? Well so research has shown the more we meditate the less anxiety and stress we have and apparently the results of a daily 20 minute meditation have proved to be long lasting even after participants stopped meditating. Those suffering from anxiety have been found to have an increase in the size of their amygdala and with daily meditation the amygdala has been shown to decrease in size. As research has proven we have the ability to change our brain through neuroplasticity and altering the connections between the neurons in our brain, in effect retraining our brain, and meditation helps us to achieve this.

So what are you waiting for? With the New Year approaching, isn’t it time to start stripping back those layers we all create for ourselves over time and find the ‘true you’.

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Yoga and meditation possess a wealth of positive effects on health, that are not usually investigated or researched by the standard yoga attendee or meditation student. Both yoga and meditation, when practiced by an individual, can strengthen the mind-body connection within a person, improving not only overall fitness, but mental strength and wellbeing. Many styles of yoga practice incorporate meditation in their routines, teaching individuals to centre themselves, calm their minds, and bring peace and relaxation.

Improving your Mental Wellbeing

The main reason that individuals try yoga and/or meditation, is to help with stress reduction. Our lives can be particularly stressful, and these sources of stress can come from overwork, finance worries, or personal relationships. Having a way to stay calm and organize your thoughts on these matters can be the difference between being able to handle them calmly, or spiraling into an anxious state. Regular yoga sessions can help to reduce the stress response that your body has, and help to lower blood pressure. Similarly, meditation is an effective stress reducer, and can reduce anxiety, and other panic disorders.

Both yoga and meditation can improve mental focus. Yoga philosophies are based around positive themes, and the upkeep of good mental health. Yoga participants are known to be happy, and peaceful, when compared to other individuals with similar issues that don’t take any measures to relax their minds or bodies. This was shown quite clearly in a 2012 control study which was published in “Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine”. Meditation provides an emotional boost, even when relaxing at your desk for a few minutes before, or during, the work day. Simply shutting your eyes and taking a few deep breaths in a stressful situation can be more helpful than any other alternative, and it’s definitely more progressive than allowing yourself to get angry or upset.

Meditation or Pranayama are quick alternatives to yoga in these situations. Pranayama offers breathing techniques seen to reduce stress levels, cortisol, lower heart rate and blood pressure leaving you feeling more focused and harmonious. By focusing on your breath, lengthening your inhalation and exhalation, your vagus nerve is activated putting your body and mind into a parasympathetic state (rest and digest). Having the ability to take yourself from fight or flight mode into rest and digest merely through the use of your own breath is a powerful tool to master and can then be called upon any time you need it.

Diet and Health

Studies have suggested that practicing yoga and meditation improve body awareness, which can lead to better eating habits. When you’re working on improving your fitness, and bettering your physical and mental health and wellbeing, you’re more aware of what’s going on inside your body, what you’re putting into it, and how you’re sleeping.

Exercise, diet, and sleep become something you think about naturally, all three become a necessary and vital part of your life and livelihood. This, in turn, can lead to a better quality of life, increased self-esteem, and a desire to take better care of yourself and your body. Both meditation and yoga are behavior modifying techniques that can assist you in improving your overall fitness.

While these practices are known for reducing stress levels, and helping individuals find balance within themselves, they also have a noticeable effect on your overall health. When you have the ability to both notice and improve your own habits, you will, ultimately, start to notice that your health improves, meaning you’ll be fit enough to participate in physical activities, complete tasks without feeling too fatigued, and just generally feel better over the course of a working week.

Yoga has also been known to help with various medical conditions, including bronchial asthma, which was discussed in the British Medical Journal (1985). A study organised by JAMA (1998) also showed that yoga can be good for carpal tunnel, and the Annals of Internal Medicine (2005), showed that the practice has been effective for back pain treatment, too.

Meditation assists with the improvement of mental health, and has been shown to decrease depression, and pensive thoughts. Studies have shown that anxiety, depression, and stress can all be reduced with regular meditation.

GABA

GABA, or gamma-aminobutyric acid, is the part of your brain which is central to the suppression of brain activity. Your GABA produces calming effects that are similar to the feeling you get from drinking alcohol, that “buzz”, if you will. Yoga and meditation have the ability to release GABA because they have the same kind of effect that any other calming activity or drug can have on your brain. The more relaxed you are, the more likely your neurotransmitters are to pick up the changes that you’re making, and as soon as your body and mind hit a level of relaxation and calm, your GABA will produce the calming effects necessary to keep you in that state for an amount of time after you’ve finished your class or session. According to a study in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (2010), when compared with an hour of reading, an hour-long yoga practice increased GABA by almost 30%.

Cortisol

Cortisol is the stress hormone that our bodies produce. It can usually be effectively managed outside of medication with a healthy lifestyle and some focus on our mental health. Both yoga and meditation have been proven to assist in reducing stress levels. Back in 1995, a professor at Thomas Jefferson Medical College conducted a study in which he set out to prove that yoga could lower an individual’s cortisol levels. The study presented a notable drop in the level of cortisol following yoga practice, and similar studies have been repeated since. Since meditation is very similar to yoga, it wouldn’t be going too far to say that it would have a similar, if not the same, effect.

Relaxation

Yoga and meditation are the most effective forms of relaxation. Both have the ability to lower blood pressure, and help with mental health, yes, but they are the purest form of slowing down and taking a deep breath. A few minutes of meditation a day, and a couple of yoga classes per week could mean the difference between a high-stress week, and being able to complete your tasks without feeling like you’re being piled under a mountain of work.

You don’t have to practice yoga, or meditate, in silence. A large proportion of people enjoy and relish in listening to various soundtracks, soothing songs, or white noise while completing their daily yoga or meditative practices. Music or a peaceful environment can actually be very beneficial when meditating or doing some yoga, because it can help you block out the rest of the world, and truly focus on yourself.

So what are you waiting for? If you have been deliberating on whether to step out of your comfort zone and take that yoga class, why not try it and see if you can see the benefits from your own practice.

There are always group classes you can join or if you feel nervous about being a newbie in a group class there are beginners classes or private sessions for you to learn the basics and practice the poses (asanas) in a safe way.

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