Dear Mr. Dad: A few years ago, you wrote about the benefits of meditation for children. I honestly thought you were joking. But a counselor at my son’s school just recommended it, saying it could help my son’s severe anxiety. When I asked how to do it, he handed me a copy of your article! For the benefits of other readers, would you please review the benefits and how-to?
A: Thanks for your email. I’ve been meaning to restart my own meditation practice for a while, and you’ve just given me the extra motivation boost that I needed.
A lot of people (including me) are skeptical when they hear about the benefits of meditation. After all, we’re told that when something sounds too good to be true, it usually is. However, in the case of meditation, many of the benefits have been scientifically proven. And it’s not just people who’ve been doing it for 20 years who benefit. In many cases, you can see the results in as little as a week.
Over the course of thousands of studies, meditation has been shown to: reduce anxiety, depression, and feelings of stress; increase focus and reduce the symptoms of ADHD; increase immune system function and reduce inflammation; lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke; reduce the amount of sleep you need to feel rested; make your brain bigger and increase your IQ; improve memory, recall, and lower the risk of developing dementia; boost creativity; reduce the likelihood of becoming addicted to drugs or alcohol; improve your ability to cope with pain; prevent asthma and a variety of conditions caused by inflammation in the body; reduce loneliness and social isolation; and, overall, help you live a longer, healthier life. Pretty impressive, right?
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