Meditation is an alternative way to decrease anxiety, lower blood pressure, boost immunity, and reduce stress, among other great health benefits. Meditation can offer you a moment of calm and clarity, which will help you to be happier, healthier, and even more successful.
Research suggests that mindfulness and concentration meditation are both utilized as alternative ways to boost mental and physical health. Research published in the International Journal of Psychology and Psychological Therapy (2010) from Thapar University and the Indian Institute of Technology, discusses the “effects of meditation on human physiology such as heartbeat, blood pressure, cortical activity, metabolism, respiration, and skin resistance.”
The study also examines the role of meditation in “human perception and cognition.” Many famous athletes, comedians and entertainment personalities practice meditation — and you can too! Let’s take a look at four celebs who meditate, and explore how this wonderful alternative practice could benefit you.
Oprah, one of America’s most influential entertainment personalities, meditates every morning according to media outlets. “I give myself a healthy dose of quiet time at least once (and when I’m on point, twice) a day: 20 minutes in the morning, 20 in the evening,” Oprah told The Huffington Post. “Knowing that stillness is the space where all creative expression, peace, light, and love come to be is a powerfully energizing, yet calming experience.”
Russell Simmons, the cofounder of Def Jam and an American business magnate finds time to meditate daily. “You can’t serve the world unless you take care of yourself first. I find time for meditation every day,” Simmons told The Huffington Post.
NBA superstar Kobe Bryant also implements mindfulness meditation into his training plan. “I normally do my mindfulness exercises in the morning. It’s the first thing I do when I get up,” Bryant told media outlets. “I find that to be the best way to start the day.” Kobe Bryant’s almost unhuman focus on the basketball court may be attributed to his meditation technique.
Even actor and comedian Jerry Seinfeld utilizes meditation to boost his productivity and focus, and to help him sleep. “To me it’s a work thing, if you meditate, you can get so much work done,” Seinfeld told media outlets. “I always say to people you know how about three nights a year you get a good night sleep? You can have it every day with meditation.” You may find Seinfeld an unlikely celeb to practice meditation; however, meditation is truly for all, offering vital health and wellness benefits.
Why meditation?
Meditation is not just for the rich and famous. Anyone can practice meditation and enjoy the amazing health benefits that many celebs have discovered.
The physical and mental benefits of meditation are wide-ranging and may be useful for the following:
- High blood pressure
- Muscular tension
- Headaches and migraines
- Insomnia
- Ulcers and stomach cramps
- Depression and anxiety
- Immune function
- Focus and energy
- Addiction
Boost focus and energy
A study published in Psychological Science (2013) from the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, found that meditation and the act of being more mindful may improve cognitive function. Researchers examined the effectiveness of a two-week mindfulness training course on “memory capacity” and “reducing mind wandering.”
Reduce hypertension
Reducing blood pressure can decrease your risk for developing many life-altering illnesses like heart disease and stroke, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Researchers from the University of Kentucky found meditation to be useful in hypertension control and management. The study, published in the American Journal of Hypertension (2008) concluded, “The regular practice of Transcendental Meditation® may have the potential to reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure by ∼4.7 and 3.2 mm Hg, respectively.”
Reduce depression and anxiety
Research from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland analysed 43 trials that included 3,515 participants. The study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine (2014) found, “Mindfulness meditation programs had moderate evidence of improved anxiety, depression and pain.” Meditation could be an exceptional alternative to the pills often prescribed for pain, depression, and anxiety.
Meditation is becoming more widely practiced in homes and even businesses across America. According to Forbes, companies like Google, Apple, and Target are incorporating meditation into daily work schedules in an attempt to boost productivity and overall employee health.
This ancient practice can also be an alternative to the use of medication for certain conditions. America’s dependence on pills is staggering. A report by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) outlined the growing problem of drug addiction in America. In fact, according to the report, Americans have a higher probability of dying from a drug overdose than a vehicle accident or gunshot.
If successful businessmen, comedians, actors and sport icons utilize meditation for focus, efficiency, health and well-being, then it may be worth incorporating it into your day as well.
Do you meditate, and why?
—The Alternative Daily
Sources:
http://pss.sagepub.com/content/24/5/776
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/14/famous-people-who-meditate_n_6850088.html
http://ajh.oxfordjournals.org/content/21/3/310.short
http://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/about.htm
http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1809754
http://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2015/02/09/7-ways-meditation-can-actually-change-the-brain
http://www.dea.gov/docs/2015%20NDTA%20Report.pdf
