Brain meditation is bubbling in popularity. Soon, you’ll find out why. The number of proven meditation benefits is on the rise.
Countless meditation exercises are available to help you start your practice.
Meditation is an effective way to improve mood, increase concentration, decrease brain aging, and improve brain functions. Meditation exercises including mindfulness, transcendental, and guided meditations accompanied by brain meditation music are readily accessible to all who wish to begin their practice.
It’s time to stop dragging through life burdened by stress, distraction, and fear. Next, learn how to use brain meditation to improve your life. Read on to understand the benefits of meditation, meditation exercises, and tips to implement these in your daily life.
Brain Meditation Benefits
As you’ll see below, there are many benefits to meditation. In fact, many different cultures understand these benefits, and the practice is not new. Actually, it has ancient roots.
To be sure, meditation benefits are in the spotlight because new evidence for them is emerging.
Brain Meditation to Improve Mood
A few minutes a day of meditation leads to an overall improvement in mood, emotional control, and well-being. While meditating, a sense of peace and calmness commences.
Consequently, you will feel more relaxed, and tranquility should ease the tension in your body and mind. Seasoned meditators speak of this particular feeling. Moreover, the mood enhancements last after the meditation session.
When you practice clearing your mind, focusing on the present, and being aware of sensations of your mind during meditation, you are preparing to maintain your practice throughout the coming hours and days. In short, using meditation can help you sift through the mental mess of stress, worries, and fears.
Therefore, meditation results in a more focused mindset, a calmer mood, and a greater sense of well-being. For instance, meditation decreases feelings of anxiety and depression, as shown in some scientific studies.
Additionally, subjects who practiced meditation had increased emotional regulation compared to control groups. Researchers showed these benefits lasted up to 3 years.
Increase Focus and Attention
Undoubtedly, today’s world is a fast-paced, non-stop blur. 30-second videos. Notifications from every app. Calendars filled to the brim.
In such a hyperactive world, focusing and being still is increasingly difficult. For instance, sitting down to study or meet a deadline can be compromised by the whirlwind of thoughts rushing around your mind. Meanwhile, you’re left wondering if there is anything out there that can help.
To sum it up, brain meditation improves attention span and increases your ability to focus. In fact, even brief, daily meditation can achieve this positive result. Studies show that meditating increases the function of the prefrontal cortex, which benefits attention and memory.
Effects on Aging
As the saying goes, youth is wasted on the young. But, is there a way to maintain that youthful, sharp mind? Indeed, you do not desire to experience the mental effects of aging and the challenges that come with it.
Losing memory can range from being inconvenient to devastating. When it comes to preventing aging of the brain, can meditation help? Surprisingly, the answer is yes.
Historically, the protective effects of meditation against cerebral aging have not been well-studied or well-understood. However, emerging studies show some evidence of this specific positive effect.
Subjects who practice meditation tend to preserve brain tissue and better maintain cognitive functions. In addition, it may lower the threat of dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases. Below is a summary of meditation’s effect on two common cerebral concerns accompanied by aging:
Inflammation
Inflammation in the brain results from a weakening immune response, which occurs with age. The glucocorticoid receptor, which helps control the immune response, may increase activity levels due to meditation. In short, this ultimately has an anti-inflammatory effect on the brain.
Stress regulation
A lifetime of high cortisol levels (too much stress) weighs heavily on an aging brain. However, reducing stress levels may help prevent a large number of related aging issues.
As it stands, this topic demands more comprehensive studies. Despite the need for further studies, preliminary research shows that meditation’s ability to reduce stress may help maintain brain volume and neuroplasticity.
Increase Neuroplasticity
Neuroplasticity is your brain’s ability to develop new neural connections when exposed to new information. If this sounds like something you want to have, you’re exactly right.
Brain volume, in general, tends to begin decreasing slowly as early as your twenties. In spite of this, meditation can physically alter brain volume by increasing or maintaining neuroplasticity. Specifically, imaging studies have shown that brain tissue changes occur after just 4-8 weeks of daily meditation.
As previously mentioned, brain meditation affects mood. To be precise, it decreases feelings of anxiety and depression. This, in turn, increases neuroplasticity.
Balancing Brain Chemicals
Neurochemicals change due to meditative practices. You may have heard of the following neurotransmitters: norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin. These must be balanced to achieve a healthy level of cognitive functioning and prevent mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression.
| Serotonin | Dopamine | Norepinephrine |
|---|---|---|
| Serotonin helps regulate mood, sleep, and other body functions. One group of subjects with known depression had a boost in serotonin post-meditation. | Dopamine can affect behavior and social anxiety levels. According to PET scans, one study reported higher dopamine levels in meditating individuals. | High norepinephrine correlates with high anxiety. One study indicated that norepinephrine levels lowered post-meditation. |
Reach Target Brain Frequencies
Brainwaves come from electrical pulses that occur at different frequencies. These electrical pulses transfer information between clusters of neurons. They can be measured in Hertz using an EEG (electroencephalogram) machine.
There are five brain frequencies, with gamma waves being the fastest and delta waves being the slowest. These five frequencies are gamma, beta, alpha, theta, and delta.
Brainwaves change according to your mood and activity level. Consequently, meditation leads to theta and alpha brainwaves. Take a look below at the differences between these two frequencies:
| Theta | Alpha |
|---|---|
| Theta waves occur during feelings of deep relaxation between 3 and 8 Hertz. In very experienced meditators, theta waves occur more frequently. Notably, theta waves can also occur while sleeping or dreaming, but not during the deepest sleep phase. They may be associated with digesting information and solidifying memories. | At 8 to 12 Hertz, alpha waves have a slightly higher frequency than theta waves. So, why does this matter? When you’re in a calm state of mind, alpha waves occur. Importantly, research indicates that more alpha waves correlate to lower rates of depression. Meditation is the key to calming the mind and therefore leads to alpha brainwaves. |
Brain Meditation Exercises
The number of brain meditation exercises is vast, and numerous types of meditation exist. As you begin your practice, figuring out where to start with so many choices can be daunting. So, start small.
Most of these exercises can be done in as little as five minutes daily. To put it simply, you can start with one and move on to the next if you want something different. Once you’ve found your favorite exercise, stick with it!
Below, you’ll find ideas of meditation exercises you can start incorporating into your daily life today.
Mindfulness Meditation
How it works:
Mindfulness meditation is the practice of maintaining an acute awareness of a specific thing. This specific thing could be your breath, a spot on the floor, or a physical feeling.
Erasing all other thoughts isn’t the goal. Instead, the objective is to notice your mind drift and gently guide it back to your focus point. When your mind focuses on one object in the present moment, you begin to break free from the chains of worry or stress.
Example exercise:
Firstly, sit down in a quiet, private place. Get comfortable in whichever position you enjoy the most. Secondly, close your eyes, and begin to notice your breathing. For the next five minutes, focus on your breath. In, out, in, out.
Don’t be bothered by thoughts that undoubtedly appear in your mind. See them float by and gracefully return your focus to the sensation of your breath.
Transcendental Meditation
How it works:
Transcendental meditation (TM) uses a repeated phrase or mantra. The vocalization becomes the focal point.
Famously used by Oprah Winfrey, this type of meditation optimizes a state of relaxed, unconcentrated awareness. Trained practitioners usually teach it, but online resources and apps make it available to anyone willing to learn.
Example exercise:
Do this twice daily for at least 15 minutes each session. If you have hired a TM teacher, they will assign your mantra. Otherwise, allow the mantra to come to mind in its own time as you begin this exercise.
Firstly, find a quiet, comfortable seat and allow your eyes to close. Next, silently repeat your mantra in your mind. The mantra is your focal point, so return to it if you drift away.
Guided Meditation
How it works:
Another party leads a guided meditation, whether a private teacher, a yoga instructor, or a recording. In fact, it’s common to find guided meditations on podcasts and YouTube. These may include repeated mantras, visualization techniques, and specific topics of focus.
Example exercise:
Firstly, choose your favorite platform for videos or audio. Next, search for “guided meditations,” and don’t feel overwhelmed.
Choose the one that feels right at the moment. Then, sit comfortably in a quiet place, and use headphones as desired. Listen or watch the guided meditation.
Brain Meditation Music
How it works:
This article earlier discussed brainwave frequencies. Now, it’s coming back into play. Many meditation soundtracks feature binaural beats, or “brainwave entrainment.”
Meditation music may encourage brainwaves to match the frequency of the binaural beat. Since the target frequency is either the alpha or theta level, select these frequencies in your search.
Example exercise:
Turn on your favorite video or audio platform, search for “brain meditation music.” Sample a few, and focus on binaural beats in the alpha or theta range as you select.
Take your seat in a quiet, private place and use headphones for the best results. Combine the audio with a mindfulness or mantra meditation practice.
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3 Tips to Implement Brain Meditation Exercises in Your Life
Make the Time
Choose a time that’s best for you. Ideally, you can assign the 5 or 10 minutes before or after brushing your teeth first thing in the morning. For example, try to sandwich it between a couple of your most concrete habits.
Most importantly, don’t leave your meditation practice hanging throughout the day, or you’ll likely forget about it. Set the time in your calendar, and add an alarm or reminder.
Establish the Place
If you dedicate a space to your practice, it will enhance your experience. For starters, pick somewhere simple, private, and restful for you.
Maybe that space will be your favorite reading corner or the rug beside your bed. Or, perhaps it’s time to create a new nook. In any event, whatever you choose, be comfortable.
Cultivate the Mindset
It’s tough to start up a new meditation practice. As you begin, recognize that it’s not going to be perfect. You won’t be on time every day, and you might be distracted some days or even skip days entirely.
Whatever the case, stay optimistic about this new tool you have. Remind yourself you can simply try again. And, by the way, you can practice anywhere you are.
Further, if you have a friend who already has a meditation practice or would like to start with you, keep each other accountable. Once in a while, review these benefits of brain meditation to stay focused on the goal. You’ve got this!
Brain Meditation for a Better Life
In conclusion, studies are increasingly showing evidence for several benefits of meditation. These include mood improvement, greater focus, decreased effects of aging on the brain, and greater neuroplasticity. As scientific research continues to accumulate on the topic of brain meditation, the practice will likely continue its upward trajectory in popularity and practice.
Meditation is entirely accessible to everyone. With an abundance of types of meditation to choose from, there is a practice to suit each individual. From mindfulness meditation to brain meditation music, the broad selection welcomes all.
In short, when making healthy, long-lasting decisions for your well-being, picking up a meditation practice is a no-brainer (pun intended). Now, find your quiet spot, take a seat, and breathe.
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