It's almost a cliche to say at this point, but meditation isn't just for Buddhist monks and martial artists. Everyone from high-powered boardroom execs to advanced yogis to children are seeing the benefits to the age-old mindfulness practice.
Thanks to YouTube and meditation apps like Calm and Headspace, accessing guided meditations, even on the go, has never been easier. If you've not dipped a toe into the waters of tranquillity yet, perhaps this is the science to make you reconsider.
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A study by researchers published in The Journal of Positive Psychology sought to study the impact of a 15-minute meditation session on the brain, compared to a day of vacation. For eight weeks, the study looked at beginners on days they were meditating and days they weren't, comparing their findings with groups who took holidays instead.
The findings were extremely encouraging. The study showed "on meditation days, participants reported lower levels of negative affect and higher levels of wellbeing, positive affect, and the mindfulness facets of observing sensations, describing thoughts and emotions, and nonreacting to feelings.
"We found similar associations of vacation with observing and nonreacting, and larger effects for well-being, positive affect, and negative affect."
The similar findings between the two groups shows meditation helps bring that holiday feeling into the regular workday. The "vacation effect" was significantly larger than the "meditation effect", with meditation only reporting an average of one-third of the satisfaction and nonreactivity a full day's holiday gave the participants.
This shows although a short meditation session can replicate some of a vacation's relaxing effect on the mind, it can't full replace a day off. However, considering you can meditate for just 15 minutes and bring out the same positive associations, we'd certainly call that a win.
Meditation has plenty of other benefits too: The practice of focusing on your breath leads to better concentration during the workday, helping you to get more done. In addition, the decreased stress from regular meditation practice improves sleep and promotes better cardiovascular health.
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