Advent, Dec. 4 – Meditation

Words such as ‘mindfulness’ and ‘neuroplasticity’ are becoming increasingly common in everyday language. Meditation is no longer the privilege of secluded monks and mystics. These techniques are being employed by the corporate sector, academics, elite athletes, actors and authors, as well as millions of people around the world who wish to maintain their inner balance.

For the first time in history, there is the technology, funding and interest to invest in clinical studies for meditation. Hundreds of papers have been published online. from the University of London to Harvard to Stanford and UCLA. TED talks, New York Times Bestsellers and media reports are all extolling the benefits of short daily meditation sessions.

Some benefits of Meditation that have been proven in Clinical settings include:

• increased memory and concentration
• volume changes in key areas of the brain
• more effective management of stress
• increased optimism and self-esteem
• reduced anxiety and depression
• improved social skills
• improved sleep
• reduced reactivity
• increased self-care

These can be verified by a quick Google search: ‘studies meditation benefits’ or ‘clinical meditation benefits.’

The evidence is clear; now we just need to sit and meditate a few times a day. Short sessions will be enough to feel the benefits. If you are unable to attend a presentation or workshop in a school or business, then there are downloadable tracks found through a link on this site, to get you started.